Adjuvant therapy in large bowel adenocarcinoma: long-term results of a Southwest Oncology Group Study

The Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) colorectal adjuvant study 7510 went through two phases. From 1975 to 1977, 309 patients were randomized to chemotherapy alone or the same chemotherapy plus immunotherapy. From 1977 until 1980, 317 patients were randomized among the same two therapy programs and a control group. With a minimum follow-up in either phase of greater than 7 years, data are now mature. They show no difference in relapse-free survival (RFS) nor overall survival (OS) in either the two-way phase or in the three-way phase. There is no indication, except possibly in one very small subset, that the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy provides an improvement in OS or in RFS. Using data from patients accrued after randomization to the control group, we fail to find evidence that either chemotherapy alone or chemoimmunotherapy improves OS or RFS when contrasted to outcomes obtained by patients on the control arm. In fact, we have significant evidence, at the P = .016 level, that chemotherapy does not improve OS by at least 50%; we also have significant evidence, at the P = .011 level, that chemoimmunotherapy will not improve OS by at least 25%. No evidence of efficacy was demonstrated for either treatment regimen, even though enough therapy was given to result in significant toxicities. Acute toxicity was at least moderate, but not fatal, in 75% of patients. Recognizable delayed toxicity included rare cases of fatal renal failure and acute leukemia.