Stopping oxaliplatinum and cont. of 5FU is better than stopping all chemotherapy. An option for patients with worsening neuropathy or other oxaliplatinum toxicity.
Oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage III colon cancer (CC) for 6 months remains a standard in high-risk stage III patients. Data are lacking as to whether early discontinuation of all treatment (ETD) or early discontinuation of oxaliplatin (EOD) could worsen the prognosis.
We studied the prognostic impact of ETD and EOD in patients with stage III CC from the ACCENT/IDEA databases, where patients were planned to receive 6 months of infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin. ETD was defined as discontinuation of treatment and EOD as discontinuation of oxaliplatin only before patients had received a maximum of 75% of planned cycles. Association between ETD/EOD and overall survival and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed by Cox models adjusted for established prognostic factors.
Analysis of ETD and EOD included 10,447 (20.9% with ETD) and 7,243 (18.8% with EOD) patients, respectively. Compared with patients without ETD or EOD, patients with ETD or EOD were statistically more likely to be women, with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥ 1, and for ETD, older with a lower body mass index. In multivariable analyses, ETD was associated with a decrease in disease-free survival and overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61, P < .001 and HR, 1.73, P < .001), which was not the case for EOD (HR, 1.07, P = .3 and HR, 1.13, P = .1). However, patients who received < 50% of the planned cycles of oxaliplatin had poorer outcomes.
In patients treated with 6 months of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for stage III CC, ETD was associated with poorer oncologic outcomes. However, this was not the case for EOD. These data favor discontinuing oxaliplatin while continuing fluoropyrimidine in individuals with significant neurotoxicity having received > 50% of the planned 6-month chemotherapy.
Epi and nivo for mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) colon cancer had 98% response rate with 68% complete response, non-recurred with a median of follow up of 26 months. Does this mean bye-bye surgery??? Probably. We will need to assess those who have complete response and have a close follow up. CtDNA may play big role here, along with a need for randomized trials.
COLOXIS is an interesting computer-based learning model that seems to be able to predict which patients are likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer. This, along with ctDNA tests, may change whom we choose to offer adjuvant chemotherapy.
Negative study for the use of HIPEC in the adjuvant setting of high-risk or locally advanced colorectal cancers, including those with perforation and peritoneal invasion. HIPEC doesn’t seem to reduce the risk of peritoneal recurrence after potentially curative resection.
Get your patients moving, even in the adjuvant setting! Of course, a lot of bias is possible here, but there was nearly a 10% difference in cure at three years.
Excellent study demonstrating the value of evaluation of ctDNA/molecular disease and impact of adjuvant chemotherapy. Guidelines will change rather significantly (for different cancers) in this decade, as to who actually needs post-operative chemotherapy. More prolonged follow-up is warranted.
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