title: Phase I/II trial of gefitinib and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
abstract: Colorectal cancers frequently overexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor. Gefitinib (Iressa), an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, is synergistic with oxaliplatin in preclinical colon cancer models. The authors conducted a phase I/II trial of gefitinib plus oxaliplatin in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer. In the phase I portion, 14 patients received oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 intravenously every 21 days and gefitinib orally daily at 1 of 2 dose levels: 250 mg/day (8 patients), and 500 mg/day (6 patients). There were no objective responses. Three patients (38%) in the 250-mg cohort experienced disease stabilization for a median of 12 weeks, and 1 patient in the 500-mg cohort had stable disease for 18 weeks. Nausea/vomiting and rash were dose limiting. The randomized phase II part of the trial, in which patients were to receive oxaliplatin with or without gefitinib, was canceled due to the inactivity of single-agent gefitinib observed in the phase I portion, and emergent phase III data regarding the minimal activity of single-agent oxaliplatin. The authors conclude that the combination of gefitinib plus oxaliplatin is inactive in advanced colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Illinois 60637-1470, USA. hkindler@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Hedy Lee
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kindler
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friberg
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Skoog
authors.forename: Kurombi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wade-Oliver
authors.forename: Everett E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Vokes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D000077156:Gefitinib