In a nutshell
This study investigated the effectiveness of first-line treatment with cetuximab (Erbitux) and bevacizumab (Avastin) in advanced colorectal cancer. Researchers suggested that cetuximab is associated with better outcomes when compared to bevacizumab.
Some background
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. Around 15% of patients will present metastatic (spread to other parts of the body) disease at diagnostic. The 5-year survival rate for these patients is 14%.
The standard therapy with chemotherapy is only of limited effectiveness in advanced cases. Therefore, the addition of targeted therapy agents might improve treatment outcomes. Targeted therapy such as cetuximab and bevacizumab helps the immune system to attack and kill cancer cells stopping their growth. Prior studies showed that these drugs are associated with improved outcomes in these patients. However, it is still not clear which drug is the best option as first-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.
Methods & findings
The objective of this trial was to investigate the effectiveness of cetuximab and bevacizumab as first-line treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. This study included information about 2576 patients from 6 other trials.
Patients treated with cetuximab had an 11% improvement in the odds of a better overall survival. These patients also had a 3.21 times greater tumor complete response rate when compared to bevacizumab. However, no difference was seen between the two groups in progression-free survival (time from treatment to disease progression), partial response or severe side effects.
The bottom line
This study concluded that cetuximab might be a better first-line treatment option for advanced colorectal cancer.
The fine print
This study included patients with tumors located on different sites. This might impact the outcomes.
Published By :
BMC cancer
Date :
Mar 28, 2019
