Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin Compared With Fluorouracil/Folinic Acid As Adjuvant Therapy for Stage III Colon Cancer: Final Results of the NO16968 Randomized Controlled Phase III Trial.
OBJECTIVE
To report the final efficacy findings and biomarker analysis from the NO16968 trial comparing bolus fluorouracil/folinic acid (FU/FA) with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) in resected stage III colon cancer.


METHODS
After curative resection, patients were randomly assigned to receive XELOX, as oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) on day 1 and capecitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1 to 14 every 3 weeks, or bolus FU/FA, as the Mayo Clinic or Roswell Park regimens, for 6 months. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary end points included overall survival (OS).


RESULTS
The intention-to-treat population comprised 1,886 patients (XELOX, n = 944; FU/FA, n = 942). Seven-year DFS rates were 63% and 56% in the XELOX and FU/FA groups, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.93; P = .004). Seven-year OS rates were 73% and 67% in the XELOX and FU/FA groups, respectively (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99; P = .04). A total of 68% and 77% of patients who experienced relapse or a new colorectal cancer in the XELOX and FU/FA groups, respectively, received drug treatment for metastatic disease. Four hundred ninety-eight patients consented to the biomarker analysis: 242 in the XELOX group and 256 in the FU/FA group. Low tumor expression of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase may be predictive for XELOX efficacy; in the XELOX group, for high versus low dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase expression levels, DFS HR was 2.45 (95% CI, 1.55 to 3.86; P < .001), and OS HR was 2.75 (95% CI, 1.65 to 4.59; P < .001). In the FU/FA group, no statistically significant associations were observed between any tumor biomarker and outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
XELOX improved OS compared with bolus FU/FA in patients with resected stage III colon cancer after a median follow-up of almost 7 years. XELOX should be considered a standard adjuvant treatment option in patients with stage III disease. Tumoral dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase expression is a promising predictive, and potentially, highly clinically relevant, biomarker for XELOX efficacy requiring further prospective evaluation.
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. hans-joachim.schmoll@uk-halle.de.
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Schmoll
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Josep
J
Tabernero
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Jean
J
Maroun
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Filippo
F
de Braud
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Timothy
T
Price
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Eric
E
Van Cutsem
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Mark
M
Hill
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Silke
S
Hoersch
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Karen
K
Rittweger
Hans-Joachim Schmoll, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany; Josep Tabernero, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Jean Maroun, Ottawa Regional Cancer Center, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Filippo de Braud, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy; Timothy Price, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Mark Hill, Kent Oncology Centre, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom; Silke Hoersch, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland; Karen Rittweger, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ; and Daniel G. Haller, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Daniel G
DG
Haller
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069287:Capecitabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D010071:Oxaloacetates; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D010071:Oxaloacetates; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil