Can addition if oxaplatin to tegafur–uracil/leucovorin improve the outcome of patients with colorectal cancer?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of adding oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) to the chemotherapy regimen tegafur uracil (UFT)/leucovorin (LV; folinic acid) for patients that had surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC). The study found that the addition of oxaliplatin to UFT/LV improved patient outcomes.

CRC can be treated by surgical removal of the tumor. Patients can be given chemotherapy (CT) after surgery to make sure all the cancer cells have been killed. One CT regimen which has been shown to be effective in patients with CRC is called UFT/LV. 

Oxaliplatin is a CT agent that has been tested in combination with other CT regimens for CRC. The combination of UFT/LV and oxaliplatin (TEGAFOX) has shown good effectiveness and safety as a first-line treatment for CRC. However, the safety and effectiveness of this regiment after surgery for CRC are still unknown. 

This study evaluated data from 152 patients with stage II-III CRC in Japan. All patients had surgery to remove the tumor. Patients were then randomly assigned to receive either TEGAFOX (group 1) or UFT/LV alone (group 2). The average follow-up time was 36 months.

The rate of survival without disease signs after 3 years was 84.7% in group 1 d 62.1% in group 2. Patients in group 1 were 61.4% more likely to remain disease-free compared to group 2.

Significantly more patients in group 1 reported side effects (96.1%) vs 76.6% in group 2. There was no significant difference in the number of patients who reported serious side effects. The most common side effects were low blood cell counts, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.

The study concluded that adding oxaliplatin to UFT/LV could improve patient outcomes in patients with stage II-III CRC after surgery.

This study evaluated data only from patients in Japan. The results may not translate to other populations. Further studies are needed.