Abstract
In recent decades, treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has remarkably progressed with the advent of biological agents. Under such circumstances, it becomes a key issue which biological agent is a preferred treatment, especially for first-line treatment of mCRC patients with RAS wild-type tumor. For unresectable diseases, preferred treatment depends on the treatment goal; patients should be treated to seek for maximum shrinkage or treatment duration. If the former, anti-EGFR mab might be a preferred option in terms of depth of response. If the latter, bevacizumab might be preferred in terms of maintenance therapy. For potentially resectable diseases, such as liver-limited diseases, a similar strategy for treatment can be recommended. There are several types of liver metastases (LM). If LM is bulky and unresectable, a tumor shrinkage is needed so that LM can be converted to be resectable. If LM is disseminated and unresectable, a pathological effect is needed to prevent recurrence after liver resection. If the former, anti-EGFR mab might be preferred, and if the latter, bevacizumab might be better, considering the characteristics of biological agents.
Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is performed after curative resection for colorectal cancer to prevent recurrence and improve patients’ prognosis. Because therapeutic outcomes for colorectal cancer are better in Japan than in other countries, adjuvant chemotherapy tailored to be optimal for individual patients should be introduced based on not only evidence from overseas but also the results of Japanese clinical trials. Attention is focusing on biomarkers for identifying high-risk patients who require adjuvant chemotherapy.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Cassidy J, Clarke S, DĂaz-Rubio E, Scheithauer W, Figer A, Wong R, et al. XELOX vs FOLFOX-4 as first-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer: NO16966 updated results. Br J Cancer. 2011;105:58–64. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2011.201.
Muro K, Boku N, Shimada Y, Tsuji A, Sameshima S, Baba H, et al. Irinotecan plus S-1 (IRIS) versus fluorouracil and folinic acid plus irinotecan (FOLFIRI) as second-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer: a randomised phase 2/3 non-inferiority study (FIRIS study). Lancet Oncol. 2010;11:853–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(10)70181-9.
NCCN web site. http://www.nccn.org/. Accessed 30 Jan 2017.
Hurwitz H, Fehrenbacher L, Novotny W, Cartwright T, Hainsworth J, Heim W, et al. Bevacizumab plus irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin for metastatic colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2335–42.
Karapetis CS, Khambata-Ford S, Jonker DJ, O’Callaghan CJ, Tu D, Tebbutt NC, et al. K-ras mutations and benefit from cetuximab in advanced colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1757–65. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0804385.
Douillard JY, Siena S, Peeters M, Koukakis R, Terwey JH, Tabernero J. Impact of early tumour shrinkage and resection on outcomes in patients with wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2015;51:1231–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2015.03.026.
Van Cutsem E, Köhne CH, Hitre E, Zaluski J, Chang Chien CR, Makhson A, et al. Cetuximab and chemotherapy as initial treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:1408–17. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0805019.
Douillard JY, Siena S, Cassidy J, Tabernero J, Burkes R, Barugel M, et al. Randomized, phase III trial of panitumumab with infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX4) versus FOLFOX4 alone as first-line treatment in patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer: PRIME study. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28:4697–705. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2009.27.4860.
Peeters M, Price TJ, Cervantes A, Sobrero AF, Ducreux M, Hotko Y, André T, et al. Randomized, phase III trial of panitumumab with infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) compared with FOLFIRI alone as second-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28:4706–13. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2009.27.6055.
Van Cutsem E, Peeters M, Siena S, Humblet Y, Hendlisz A, Neyns B, et al. Open-label phase III trial of panitumumab plus best supportive care compared with best supportive care alone with chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:1658–64.
Heinemann V, Rivera F, O’Neil BH, Stintzing S, Koukakis R, Terwey JH, et al. A study-level meta-analysis of efficacy data from head-to-head first-line trials of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors versus bevacizumab in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Eur J Cancer. 2016;67:11–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2016.07.019.
Mansmann UR, Laubender RP. Methodologic diligence is needed to define and validate tumor-size response metrics to predict overall survival in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31:4373–4. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2013.51.2954.
Nakamura M, Yamada Y, Takahari D, Matsumoto H, Baba H, Yoshida K, et al. Updated results of the SOFT study: a randomized phase III trial of S-1/oxaliplatin (SOX) plus bevacizumab versus 5-FU/l-LV/oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) plus bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). J Clin Oncol. 2014; 32:5s (Suppl): abstr 3586.
Stintzing S, Modest DP, Fischer von Weikersthal L, Decker T, Kiani A, et al. Independent radiological evaluation of objective response, early tumor shrinkage, and depth of response in FIRE-3 (AIO KRK-0306) in the final as evaluable population. Ann Oncol. 2014;25:v1–v41. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdu438.9.
Cremolini C, Loupakis F, Lonardi S, Trenta P, Antoniotti C, Masi G, et al. Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) and deepness of response (DoR) to predict progression-free, postprogression, and overall survival: results from the phase III TRIBE trial. J Clin Oncol. 2014;32(Suppl 3):abstr 521.
Tebbutt NC, et al. Capecitabine, bevacizumab, and mitomycin in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: results of the Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group Randomized Phase III MAX Study. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28:3191–8. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2009.27.7723.
Van Cutsem E, Cervantes A, Adam R, Sobrero A, Van Krieken JH, Aderka D, et al. ESMO consensus guidelines for the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Ann Oncol. 2016;27:1386–422. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdw235.
Japanese classification of colorectal carcinoma. Kanehara, Tokyo. 2009.
Sorbye H, Mauer M, Gruenberger T, Glimelius B, Poston GJ, Schlag PM, et al. Perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 and surgery versus surgery alone for resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer (EORTC Intergroup trial 40983): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2008;371:1007–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60455-9.
Sugihara K, Uetake H. Therapeutic strategies for hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer; 2011 update. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci. 2012;19:523–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-012-0524-8.
Uetake H, Tanaka S, Ishikawa T, Sugihara K, Arii S. Fate of metastatic foci after chemotherapy and usefulness of contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography to detect minute hepatic lesions. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci. 2012;19:509–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-012-0510-1.
Adam R, Delvart V, Pascal G, Valeanu A, Castaing D, Azoulay D, et al. Rescue surgery for unresectable colorectal liver metastases downstaged by chemotherapy: a model to predict long-term survival. Ann Surg. 2004;240:644–57.
Folprecht G, Gruenberger T, MD Bechstein WO, Raab HR, Lordick F, Hartmann JT, Lang H, Frilling A, Stoehlmacher J, Weitz J, Konopke R, Stroszczynski C, Liersch T, Ockert D, Herrmann T, Goekkurt E, Parisi F, Köhne CH. Tumour response and secondary resectability of colorectal liver metastases following neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cetuximab: the CELIM randomised phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2010;11:38–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(09)70330-4.
Wong R, Cunningham D, Barbachano Y, Saffery C, Valle J, Hickish T, et al. A multicentre study of capecitabine, oxaliplatin plus bevacizumab as perioperative treatment of patients with poor-risk colorectal liver-only metastases not selected for upfront resection. Ann Oncol. 2011;22:2042–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdq714.
Uetake H, Yasuno M, Ishiguro M, Kameoka S, Shimada Y, Takahashi K, et al. A multicenter phase II trial of mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab to treat liver-only metastases of colorectal cancer that are unsuitable for upfront resection (TRICC0808). Ann Surg Oncol. 2015;22:908–15. https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-014-4094-7.
Uetake H. High pathological CR rate and low recurrence rate was observed in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer after preoperative bevacizumab plus FOLFOX therapy. Cancer Res. 2011;71(8 Supplement):3218.
Klinger M, Tamandl D, Eipeldauer S, Hacker S, Herberger B, Kaczirek K, et al. Bevacizumab improves pathological response of colorectal cancer liver metastases treated with XELOX/FOLFOX. Ann Surg Oncol. 2010;17:2059–65. https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-0972-9.
Ribero D, Wang H, Donadon M, Zorzi D, Thomas MB, Eng C, et al. Bevacizumab improves pathologic response and protects against hepatic injury in patients treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for colorectal liver metastases. Cancer. 2007;110:2761–7.
Blazer DG 3rd, Kishi Y, Maru DM, Kopetz S, Chun YS, Overman MJ, et al. Pathologic response to preoperative chemotherapy: a new outcome end point after resection of hepatic colorectal metastases. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26:5344–51. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2008.17.5299.
Duffy A, Shia J, Huitzil-Melendez FD, Fong Y, O’Reilly EM. Pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant FOLFOX in combination with bevacizumab in unresectable metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2008;7:140–3. https://doi.org/10.3816/CCC.2008.n.019.
JSCCR. Guidelines 2016 for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Moertel CG, Fleming TR, Macdonald JS, Haller DG, Laurie JA, Goodman PJ, et al. Levamisole and fluorouracil for adjuvant therapy of resected colon carcinoma. N Engl J Med. 1990;322:352–8.
Francini G, Petrioli R, Lorenzini L, Mancini S, Armenio S, Tanzini G, et al. Folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil as adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer. Gastroenterology. 1994;106:899–906.
Efficacy of adjuvant fluorouracil and folinic acid in colon cancer. International Multicentre Pooled Analysis of Colon Cancer Trials (IMPACT) investigators. Lancet. 1995;345:939–44.
O’Connell MJ, Mailliard JA, Kahn MJ, Macdonald JS, Haller DG, Mayer RJ, et al. Controlled trial of fluorouracil and low-dose leucovorin given for 6 months as postoperative adjuvant therapy for colon cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1997;15:246–50.
Wolmark N, Rockette H, Mamounas E, Jones J, Wieand S, Wickerham DL, et al. Clinical trial to assess the relative efficacy of fluorouracil and leucovorin, fluorouracil and levamisole, and fluorouracil, leucovorin, and levamisole in patients with Dukes’ B and C carcinoma of the colon: results from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project C-04. J Clin Oncol. 1999;17:3553–9.
Lembersky BC, Wieand HS, Petrelli NJ, O’Connell MJ, Colangelo LH, Smith RE, et al. Oral uracil and tegafur plus leucovorin compared with intravenous fluorouracil and leucovorin in stage II and III carcinoma of the colon: results from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol C-06. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24:2059–64.
Twelves C, Wong A, Nowacki MP, Abt M, Burris H 3rd, Carrato A, et al. Capecitabine as adjuvant treatment for stage III colon cancer. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2696–704.
Kuebler JP, Wieand HS, O’Connell MJ, Smith RE, Colangelo LH, Yothers G, Petrelli NJ, Findlay MP, Seay TE, Atkins JN, Zapas JL, Goodwin JW, Fehrenbacher L, Ramanathan RK, Conley BA, Flynn PJ, Soori G, Colman LK, Levine EA, Lanier KS, Wolmark N. Oxaliplatin combined with weekly bolus fluorouracil and leucovorin as surgical adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II and III colon cancer: results from NSABP C-07. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:2198–204.
André T, Boni C, Navarro M, Tabernero J, Hickish T, Topham C, et al. Improved overall survival with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin as adjuvant treatment in stage II or III colon cancer in the MOSAIC trial. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27:3109–16.
Schmoll HJ, Tabernero J, Maroun J, de Braud F, Price T, Van Cutsem E, et al. 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. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33:3733–40.
Saltz LB, Niedzwiecki D, Hollis D, Goldberg RM, Hantel A, Thomas JP, et al. Irinotecan fluorouracil plus leucovorin is not superior to fluorouracil plus leucovorin alone as adjuvant treatment for stage III colon cancer: results of CALGB 89803. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:3456–61.
Van Cutsem E, Labianca R, Bodoky G, Barone C, Aranda E, Nordlinger B, et al. Randomized phase III trial comparing biweekly infusional fluorouracil/leucovorin alone or with irinotecan in the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer: PETACC-3. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27:3117–25.
Allegra CJ, Yothers G, O’Connell MJ, Sharif S, Petrelli NJ, Lopa SH, et al. Bevacizumab in stage II-III colon cancer: 5-year update of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project C-08 trial. J Clin Oncol. 2013;31:359–64.
de Gramont A, Van Custem E, Schmoll HJ, Tabernero J, Clarke S, Moore MJ, et al. Bevacizumab plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment for colon cancer (AVANT): a phase 3 randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncol. 2012;13:1225–33.
Alberts SR, Sargent DJ, Nair S, Mahoney MR, Mooney M, Thibodeau SN, et al. Effect of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin with or without cetuximab on survival among patients with resected stage III colon cancer: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2012;307:1383–93.
Sakamoto J, Hamada C, Kodaira S, Nakazato H, Ohashi Y. Adjuvant therapy with oral fluoropyrimidine as main chemotherapeutic agents after curative resection for colorectal cancer. Individual patients data meta-analysis of randomized trial. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 1999;29:78–86.
Meta-Analysis Group of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum and the Meta-Analysis Group in Cancer. Efficacy of oral adjuvant therapy after resection of colorectal cancer: 5-year result from three randomized trials. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22:484–92.
Akasu T, Moriya Y, Ohashi Y, Yoshida S, Shirao K, Kodaira S, National Surgical Adjuvant Study of Colorectal Cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy with uracil-tegafur for pathological stage III rectal cancer after mesorectal excision with selective lateral pelvic lymphadenectomy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2006;36:237–44.
Shimada Y, Hamaguchi T, Mizusawa J, Saito N, Kanemitsu Y, Takiguchi N, et al. Randomised phase III trial of adjuvant chemotherapy with oral uracil and tegafur plus leucovorin versus intravenous fluorouracil and levofolinate in patients with stage III colorectal cancer who have undergone Japanese D2/D3 lymph node dissection: Final results of JCOG0205. Eur J Cancer. 2014;50:2231–40.
Yoshida M, Ishiguro M, Ikejiri K, Mochizuki I, Nakamoto Y, Kinugasa Y, et al. S-1 as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer: a randomized phase III study (ACTS-CC trial). Ann Oncol. 2014;25:1743–9.
Hamaguchi T, Shimada Y, Mizusawa J, Kinugasa Y, Kanemitsu Y, Ohue M, et al. Randomized phase III study of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 versus capecitabine in patients with stage III colon cancer (CC): results of Japan Clinical Oncology Group study (JCOG0910). ASCO, 2015, abst#3512.
Oki E, Murata A, Yoshida K, Maeda K, Ikejiri K, Munemoto Y, Sasaki K, et al. A randomized phase III trial comparing S-1 versus UFT as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II/III rectal cancer (JFMC35-C1: ACTS-RC). Ann Oncol. 2016;27:1266–72.
Takiuchi H, Tomita N, Boku N, Watanabe T, Kotake K, Itabashi M, et al. Preplanned initial safety analysis of ACTS-CC 02 trial: a large randomized phase III trial of SOX versus UFT/LV as adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk stage III colon cancer. 2012 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, abst#572.
Kajiwara Y, Ishiguro M, Teramukai S, Matsuda C, Fujii S, Kinugasa Y, et al. A randomized phase III trial of 1-year adjuvant chemotherapy with oral tegafur-uracil (UFT) vs. surgery alone in stage II colon cancer: SACURA trial. ASCO 2016, abst#3617.
Kanemitsu Y, Kato T, Shimizu Y, Inaba Y, Shimada Y, Nakamura K, et al. A randomized phase II/III trial comparing hepatectomy followed by mFOLFOX6 with hepatectomy alone as treatment for liver metastasis from colorectal cancer: Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study JCOG0603. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2009;39:406–9.
Tournigand C, André T, Bonnetain F, Chibaudel B, Lledo G, Hickish T, et al. Adjuvant therapy with fluorouracil and oxaliplatin in stage II and elderly patients (between ages 70 and 75 years) with colon cancer: subgroup analyses of the multicenter international study of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin in the adjuvant treatment of colon cancer trial. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30:3353–60.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Uetake, H., Yamauchi, S., Sugihara, K. (2018). The Role of Systemic Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer. In: Kim, N., Sugihara, K., Liang, JT. (eds) Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Cancer. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5143-2_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5143-2_30
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-5142-5
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-5143-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)