Comparing the effectiveness of TAS-102 versus regorafenib for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

This study compared the effectiveness of TAS-102 (Lonsurf; trifluridine-tipiracil) versus regorafenib (Stivarga) for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The data showed that TAS-102 had better oncologic outcomes than regorafenib in these patients.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Some patients do not report symptoms with the initial tumor. These patients are often only diagnosed when the cancer has spread to other areas (mCRC). The standard treatment for these patients is chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy.

Regorafenib is a targeted therapy. It works by stopping tumors from forming new blood vessels and spreading. Studies have shown that regorafenib improves the outcomes of patients with mCRC when added to chemotherapy. TAS-102 is a combination of 2 chemotherapy drugs that stop cancer cells from dividing. This stops tumor growth and spread. Previous studies showed that TAS-102 was safe and improved survival in patients with mCRC. However, which treatment is more effective, TAS-102-containing regimen versus regorafenib-containing regimen, in patients with mCRC is still unknown.

This study involved 125 patients with mCRC. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 50 patients who received a TAS-102-containing regimen. Group 2 included 75 patients who received a regorafenib-containing regimen. 64% of the patients were treated with TAS-102 or regorafenib therapy alone, while the remaining patients were treated with a TAS-102 combination or regorafenib combination therapy.

The average survival without cancer worsening was 3.7 months in group 1 versus 2 months in group 2. The average overall survival was 9.2 months in group 1 versus 6.8 months in group 2.

Overall, 44% of the patients in group 1 responded to the treatment versus 20% of the patients in group 2. 72% of the patients in group 1 achieved disease control (tumor does not grow or spread) compared to 43% of the patients in group 2.

The survival outcomes were significantly longer in patients treated with TAS-102 or regorafenib combination therapy than with each medication alone.

This study concluded that TAS-102 had better oncologic outcomes than regorafenib in patients with mCRC, especially when used in combination.

This study looked back in time at medical records. The sample size was small and only included patients from a single institution in China. Larger studies at different institutions are required to validate the conclusions.