Bevacizumab in combination with biweekly capecitabine and irinotecan, as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
BACKGROUND
Combination of capecitabine and irinotecan (XELIRI regimen) is an active and well tolerated treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this regimen in combination with bevacizumab (BV), as first-line treatment for mCRC.


METHODS
A total of 46 consecutive patients received a combination of BV (5 mg kg⁻¹, day 1), irinotecan (175 mg m⁻², day 1) and capecitabine (1000 mg m⁻² twice daily on day 2-8), every 2 weeks. Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective was to determine the progression-free survival (PFS) and safety profile.


RESULTS
The overall response rate (ORR) was 67.4%, with a disease control rate (ORR+stable disease) of 93.5%. Median PFS and overall survival (OS) were 12.3 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.5-18.1 months) and 23.7 months (95% CI: 16.7-30.6 months), respectively. The most frequent grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events were asthenia (7%), diarrhoea (7%), nausea (9%) and vomiting (7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Bevacizumab combined with biweekly XELIRI is a highly active first-line regimen for mCRC treatment, showing encouraging PFS, ORR and OS with a good tolerability.
García-Alfonso
P
P
Medical Oncology service, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, C/ Doctor Equerdo, 46, Madrid 28007, Spain. pgarcaalfonso@gmail.com
Muñoz-Martin
A J
AJ
Alvarez-Suarez
S
S
Jerez-Gilarranz
Y
Y
Riesco-Martinez
M
M
Khosravi
P
P
Martin
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000069287:Capecitabine; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D018579:Patient Selection
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D006454:Hemoglobins; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D000077146:Irinotecan; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin