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Rectal Cancer treatment details. Chemotherapy, Biologic therapy.

Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany.

Survival: monthsCountry:Germany
Toxiciy Grade:4City/State/Province:Essen
Treatments:Chemotherapy, Biologic therapyHospital:Kliniken Essen-Mitte
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Nov 2008

Description:

Patients: This study involved 1,147 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The median age was 62, ranging from 25 to 84 years of age. These patients were from a variety of countries: Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Treatment: These patients were treated with the biological therapy cetuximab and the chemotherapy drug irinotecan. They all received the same dose of cetuximab, but different dose and treatment schedules of irinotecan.

Toxicity: The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicity was diarrhea (reported in 19.4% of patients), followed by neutropenia, rash, asthenia, leucopenia, vomiting, acne, nausea, anemia, and fatigue (the least common, reported in 2.1% of patients).

Results: The median overall survival for all patients was 9.2 months. There were slight differences in survival time depending on the irinotecan treatment regimen given with the cetuximab: the median overall survival was 8.3 months in those treated with weekly irinotecan; 9.2 months in those treated with irinotecan every 2 weeks; 10.3 months in those treated with irinotecan every 3 weeks; and 7.0 months for those treated with a not-specified schedule of irinotecan.

Support: Research funding was provided by Merck KGaA. Merck licensed the right to market cetuximab outside of the U.S. and Canada.
Correspondence: Dr. Hansjochen Wilke



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