Capecitabine as third line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer

This study sought to determine whether third line therapy with capecitabine (cap.) could provide any clinical benefit in patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have progressed on 5-Fu combination therapy with both irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Twenty patients who were pretreated with and had progressed on irinotecan+Nordic FLv (5-Fu/leukovorin) and oxaliplatin+c.i. 5-Fu/leukovorin were studied. Cap. was administered at 1000-1250 mg/m2 bid d1-14 q 3 w. Time to progression (TTP) (either radiological or clinical) and overall survival (OS) were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier actuarial method. The median number of administered cap. courses was four. No radiological or biochemical responses were observed. Three patients were classified as having stable disease at three months. Two of these patients had, however, minor radiological progression and a =100% increase in CEA compared to base line. Seventeen patients were classified as having progressive disease during the first three months period. Median TTP and OS were 2.8 months and 6.1 months, respectively. A response rate of =15% for third line cap. in metastatic CRC can be ruled out. Median PFS was limited in the study population. This observation and the few cases with SD at three months, lead us to believe that little or no clinical benefit can be expected from single drug cap. in patients with irinotecan- and oxaliplatin-combination resistant advanced colorectal cancer.