Original Article
Capecitabine Maintenance Therapy after First-Line Chemotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of capecitabine maintenance therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.
Methods: From June 2001 to November 2006, after they had achieved clinical response from first-line chemotherapy, patients with mCRC in our hospital received two different treatment strategies. Thirty-three patients in maintenance group were treated with capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 po bid d1-14, q21d. Fifty-two patients in non-maintenance group did not receive any further chemotherapy.
Results: Patients in maintenance group and non-maintenance group both received FOLFOX, FOLFIRI and XELOX as first-line therapy. The median chemotherapy cycles the two groups received were the same (6 vs 6). The response rates of first-line chemotherapy were 33.3% in maintenance group and 32.7% in non-maintenance group. Patients in maintenance group received 3−9 cycles of capecitabine therapy (median cycle 4). 29/33 (87.9%) patients in maintenance group and 47/52 (90.4%) in non-maintenance group received following second-line chemotherapy, and no patients underwent targeted therapy. The median survival time and TTP were 40.4 months (95%CI: 24.2−56.6) and 9.0 months (95%CI: 6.7−11.3) in maintenance group, as compared with 21.5 months (95%CI: 14.9−28.0, P=0.015) and 6.5 months (95%CI: 4.4−8.5, P=0.007) in non-maintenance group. No severe adverse event was observed in the capecitabine maintenance group.
Conclusion: mCRC patients could benefit from capecitabine maintenance therapy by prolonging survival time
and TTP.
Methods: From June 2001 to November 2006, after they had achieved clinical response from first-line chemotherapy, patients with mCRC in our hospital received two different treatment strategies. Thirty-three patients in maintenance group were treated with capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 po bid d1-14, q21d. Fifty-two patients in non-maintenance group did not receive any further chemotherapy.
Results: Patients in maintenance group and non-maintenance group both received FOLFOX, FOLFIRI and XELOX as first-line therapy. The median chemotherapy cycles the two groups received were the same (6 vs 6). The response rates of first-line chemotherapy were 33.3% in maintenance group and 32.7% in non-maintenance group. Patients in maintenance group received 3−9 cycles of capecitabine therapy (median cycle 4). 29/33 (87.9%) patients in maintenance group and 47/52 (90.4%) in non-maintenance group received following second-line chemotherapy, and no patients underwent targeted therapy. The median survival time and TTP were 40.4 months (95%CI: 24.2−56.6) and 9.0 months (95%CI: 6.7−11.3) in maintenance group, as compared with 21.5 months (95%CI: 14.9−28.0, P=0.015) and 6.5 months (95%CI: 4.4−8.5, P=0.007) in non-maintenance group. No severe adverse event was observed in the capecitabine maintenance group.
Conclusion: mCRC patients could benefit from capecitabine maintenance therapy by prolonging survival time
and TTP.
