Bevacizumab plus FOLFIRI or FOLFOX in chemotherapy-refractory patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab associated with an irinotecan or oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was proved to be superior to the chemotherapy alone in first or second line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, it was reported to have no efficacy in 3^rdor later-line, alone or with 5FU. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of bevacizumab combined with FOLFIRI or FOLFOX in mCRC who have failed prior chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine plus irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty one consecutive patients treated between May 2005 and October 2006 were included in this retrospective study. All of them have progressed under a chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine plus irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin and received bevacizumab (5 mg/kg) in combination with FOLFIRI or simplified FOLFOX4 every 14 days.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ten patients (32.2%) had an objective response (1 CR, 9 PR) and 12 (38.8%) were stabilized. The response and disease control rates were 45.4% and 100% when bevacizumab was administered in 2^ndor 3^rdline and 25% and 55% in 4^thor later line respectively (p = 0.024 and p = 0.008). Among the patients who had previously received the same chemotherapy than that associated with bevacizumab (n = 28) the overall response rate was 35.7% and 39.3% were stabilized. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were of 9.7 and 18.4 months respectively. Except a patient who presented a hypertension associated reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, tolerance of bevacizumab was acceptable. A rectal bleeding occurred in one patient, an epistaxis in five. Grade 1/2 hypertension occurred in five patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study suggests that bevacizumab combined with FOLFOX or FOLFIRI may have the possibility to be active in chemorefractory and selected mCRC patients who did not receive it previously.</p

Irinotecan/fluorouracil combination in first-line therapy of older and younger patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: combined analysis of 2,691 patients in randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Uncertainty exists about whether elderly patients benefit to the same extent as younger patients from combination therapy with irinotecan in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Combined analysis was carried out with source data from the fluorouracil (FU)/folinic acid (FA) and the irinotecan/FU/FA arms of four first-line, phase III trials of CRC to investigate the efficacy and safety of combination and monotherapy in elderly (age &gt; or = 70 years; n = 599) compared with younger (age &lt; 70 years; n = 2,092) patients. RESULTS: Response rates were improved with irinotecan-based combination therapy compared with FU/FA in patients both younger than 70 years and &gt; or = 70 years (46.6% v 29.0% P &lt; .0001; and 50.5% v 30.3%, P &lt; .0001, respectively). With irinotecan/FU/FA, progression-free survival was better for both younger (hazard ratio [HR], 0.77; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.85; P &lt; .0001) and elderly patients (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.90; P = .0026). In younger patients, overall survival was improved with combination therapy (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.92; P = .0003). The same trend was observed in elderly patients (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.05; P = .15). There was no significant interaction between treatment arm and age in the regression analysis. The expected differences in toxicity between combination and monotherapy in elderly and younger patients were observed. A significant interaction between treatment and age (cutoff, 70 years) for vomiting and hepatotoxicity was not confirmed by analysis that used age as a continuous variable. CONCLUSION: Patients older than 70 years of age who were selected for inclusion in phase III trials derived similar benefits as younger patients from irinotecan-containing chemotherapy, and the risk of toxicity was similar

Integrating Chemotherapy into the Management of Oligometastatic Colorectal Cancer: Evidence-Based Approach Using Clinical Trial Findings

PURPOSE: With the use of case presentations, we present a review of the role of systemic chemotherapy in oligometastatic colorectal cancer and suggest ways to integrate clinical research findings into the interdisciplinary management of this potentially curable subset of patients. METHODS: This educational review discusses the role of chemotherapy in the management of oligometastatic metastatic colorectal cancer. RESULTS: In initially resectable oligometastatic colorectal cancer, the goal of chemotherapy is to eradicate micrometastatic disease. Perioperative 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin along with surgical resection can result in 5-year survival rates as high as 57%. With the development of increasingly successful chemotherapy regimens, attention is being paid to the use of chemotherapy to convert patients with initially unresectable metastasis into patients with a chance of surgical cure. The choice of chemotherapy regimen requires consideration of the goals of therapy and assessment of both tumor and patient-specific factors. DISCUSSION: Herein we discuss the choice and timing of chemotherapy in patients with initially resectable and borderline resectable metastatic colorectal cancer. Coordinated multidisciplinary care of such patients can optimize survival outcomes and result in the cure of patients with this otherwise lethal disease