Addition of Aflibercept to FOLFIRI improves survival rates in patients previously treated with Oxaliplatin

This study investigated the use of the chemotherapy regimen known as FOLFIRI with or without the addition of Aflibercept (Zaltrap) to treat metastatic colorectal cancer.  Results showed that adding Aflibercept significantly increased the length of time patients survive and the length of time they survive without any disease progression.

Metastatic colorectal cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy.  There are a number of drug combinations that can be used, one of them consisting of Fluoruouracil, Leucovorin and Irinotecan (also known as FOLFIRI). Recently developed drugs are sometimes added to this regimen in order to improve results. Aflibercept is a drug that blocks the development of new blood vessels needed for tumor growth. Such treatment methods have been shown to increase survival rates when given as first-line therapy. However, it is not known whether drugs like Aflibercept improve outcomes in patients previously treated with the chemotherapy agent Oxaliplatin.

This study looked at the benefit of adding Aflibercept to a FOLFIRI regimen given to metastatic colorectal cancer patients previously treated with Oxaliplatin. 612 patients received Aflibercept every two weeks in addition to FOLFIRI. A second group of 614 patients received only FOLFIRI. The treatments were continued until the disease progressed or the patient stopped treatment due to side effects.

Results showed that patients who received Aflibercept had a longer time without disease progression: 6.9 months with the drug versus 4.67 months without it. Overall survival was also increased in patients who received Aflibercept: 13.5 months with the drug compared to 12.06 months without it.

In conclusion, Aflibercept in combination with FOLFIRI offered a significant survival benefit over FOLFIRI alone in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer previously treated with Oxaliplatin.

Patients may want to consider that the survival time was only slightly improved by adding Aflibercept, while the number of adverse events and grade of these adverse events was higher.