Randomized multicenter phase II trial of bolus plus infusional fluorouracil/leucovorin compared with fluorouracil/leucovorin plus oxaliplatin as third-line treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer

Purpose The addition of oxaliplatin to fluorouracil (FU) and leucovorin (LV) improves the outcome of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This multicenter study evaluated FU/LV with or without oxaliplatin in patients with metastatic CRC after disease progression on sequential fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan. Patients and Methods Two hundred fourteen patients were randomly assigned to receive LV 200 mg/m(2) intravenously (IV) and FU 400 mg/m(2) IV bolus, followed by FU 600 mg/m(2) IV over 22 hours on days 1 and 2, every 2 weeks (LV5FU2); or LV and FU as described, plus oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) IV over 2 hours on day I of the schedule (FOLFOX4). The primary end point was overall response. Results Baseline characteristics were similar in the two treatment arms. Objective response (complete + partial) rates for LV5FU2 versus FOLFOX4 were 2% v 13% (P = .0027), respectively. Median time to disease progression was 2.4 v 4.8 months (P < .0001), and median survival was 11.4 v 9.9 months (P = .20) for LV5FU2 and FOLFOX4, respectively. Among the 72 patients who crossed over from LV5FU2 to FOLFOX4, 6% responded. Symptomatic improvement was significantly better for patients in the FOLFOX4 arm (32% v 18% for LV5FU2, P = .05). Grade 3/4 toxicities for LV5FU2 and FOLFOX4 were neutropenia (13% and 42%, respectively), diarrhea (6% and 16%, respectively), and overall neuropathy (0% and 6%, respectively). Conclusion In patients with metastatic CRC, the FOLFOX4 regimen was superior to LV5FU2 with a higher response rate and time to disease progression. FOLFOX4 is an effective regimen even after disease progression on two previous chemotherapy regimens with fluoropyrimidines and irinotecan. (C) 2004 by American Society of Clinical Oncology