Treatment Information

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Rectal Cancer treatment details. Chemotherapy.

Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Survival: monthsCountry:United Kingdom
Toxiciy Grade:4City/State/Province:Glasgow, Scotland
Treatments:ChemotherapyHospital:Glasgow University
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Apr 2008

Description:

Patients: This phase III study involved 2,034 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. There were 1,207 men and 827 women, and the majority (1,294) were under the age of 65. Most had not received previous adjuvant chemotherapy.

Treatment: Patients were treated with the one of four combinations of chemotherapy drugs: fluorouracil, folinic acid, and oxaliplatin; capecitabine and oxaliplatin, or one of these combinations with bevacizumab.

Toxicity: Forty-four percent of patients treated with fluoruracil, folinic acid, and oxaliplatin had grade 3/4 neutropenia/granulocytopenia, and 6.3% had venous thrombosis: these toxicities were more common in this group than the group of patients treated with capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Grade 3/4 neurosensory toxicity was reported in about 17% of patients. Bevacizumab did not have an effect on the difference in toxicities between the groups.

Results: The median overall survival of patients treated with fluoruracil, folinic acid, and oxaliplatin (with or without bevacizumab) was 19.6 months. The median overall survival of patients treated with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (with or without bevacizumab) was 19.8 months.

Support: This study was supported by Roche, which markets capecitabine (Xeloda“) and bevacizumab (Avastin“).

Correspondence: Dr. Jim Cassidy



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