Capecitabine as Maintenance Therapy for High-Risk, Resected Colorectal Cancer
Miklos L Auber1, Sijin Wen2, Gerald Hobbs3
1Department of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
Gastrointestinal Tumors
|May 13, 2021
Summary
Maintenance capecitabine therapy shows promise in reducing colorectal cancer recurrence and death. This study found a 5-year event-free survival rate of 74% in patients receiving capecitabine after initial treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in the USA.
- A significant portion of deaths may result from disease relapse post-surgery and chemotherapy.
- Maintenance therapy could play a role in improving outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the event-free survival (EFS) in colorectal cancer patients receiving capecitabine as maintenance therapy.
- To assess the impact of capecitabine maintenance therapy on disease progression and survival.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes for 35 patients treated with capecitabine maintenance therapy.
- Descriptive statistics were used to analyze duration of therapy and disease status.
- Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were employed to determine EFS and overall survival rates.
Main Results:
- A 5-year EFS rate of 74% was observed in the cohort.
- Patients receiving capecitabine for ≥30 months had a lower incidence of progressive disease compared to those treated for <30 months.
- Five-year survival was observed in 5 patients with resected stage 4 disease who received capecitabine maintenance therapy.
Conclusions:
- Maintenance capecitabine therapy appears to decrease the risk of disease progression in colorectal cancer patients.
- The findings suggest that capecitabine maintenance therapy may reduce cancer-related mortality.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:56Treatment Resistant Cancers
3.5K
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
3.5K
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
5.2K
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
5.2K
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
8.0K
The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.0K
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in IBD
285
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition primarily affecting the colon and rectum. The primary drugs used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis are aminosalicylates. They exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. They modulate inflammatory mediators and inhibit the activity of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Aminosalicylates also reduce inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin and leukotriene production and decreasing neutrophil chemotaxis and superoxide...
285
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
5.4K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
5.4K
02:49Cancer Therapies
8.9K
Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
8.9K