Cetuximab Combined With Irinotecan in First-line Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (CRYSTAL)

Drugs used against cancer work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Monoclonal antibodies, such as cetuximab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Giving combination chemotherapy together with cetuximab as first treatment after diagnosis of a metastatic colorectal cancer ('1st-line' treatment) may improve the treatment efficacy. However, it is not yet known whether giving combination chemotherapy together with cetuximab is more effective than combination chemotherapy alone. This open-label trial investigates the effectiveness of cetuximab in combination with a standard and effective chemotherapy (5-Fluorouracil (5FU)/Folinic acid (FA) plus irinotecan) for metastatic colorectal cancer in first-line setting, compared to the same chemotherapy alone on patient expressing the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Patients expressing this EGF Receptor will be randomly assign in one of the 2 groups to either receive the combination chemotherapy alone or with cetuximab (open-label study) and will then be treated until progression of the disease or unacceptable toxicity occur. Regular efficacy assessments (every 8 weeks) based on imaging will be performed throughout the study together with regular safety assessments (e.g. safety labs). An independent Safety Board of experts will also monitor safety data. After participant discontinuation from the trial, regular updates on further treatments and survival status will be requested from the investigator. The entire study (from the first patient entering the study to the last collect of follow-up information) is 4-5 years long.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum
* Inoperable metastatic disease
* Immunohistochemical evidence of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in tumor tissue
* Presence of at least 1 bi-dimensionally measurable index lesion

Exclusion Criteria:

* Previous irinotecan-based chemotherapy
* Previous chemotherapy for colorectal cancer except adjuvant treatment if terminated more than 6 months before the start of study treatment
* Radiotherapy, surgery (excluding prior diagnostic biopsy) or any investigational drug in the 30 days before the start of study treatment
* Brain metastasis

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• RESULTVan Cutsem E, Lang I, Folprecht G, Nowacki M, Cascinu S, Shchepotin I, Maurel J, Cunningham D, Celik I, Kohne C Cetuximab plus FOLFIRI in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): The influence of KRAS and BRAF biomarkers on outcome: Updated data from the CRYSTAL trial. ASCO 2010 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, Orlando, USA January 2010 Abstract No: 281
• RESULTLang I, Kohne CH, Folprecht G, Nowacki MP, Cascinu S, Shchepotin I, Maurel J, Cunningham D, Zubel A, Van Cutsem E Cetuximab plus FOLFIRI in 1st-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: Quality of life (QoL) analysis of patients (pts) with KRAS wild-type (wt) tumours in the CRYSTAL trial. European Journal of Cancer Supplements. 2009 7(2):345
• DERIVEDDercle L, Lu L, Lichtenstein P, Yang H, Wang D, Zhu J, Wu F, Piessevaux H, Schwartz LH, Zhao B. Impact of Variability in Portal Venous Phase Acquisition Timing in Tumor Density Measurement and Treatment Response Assessment: Metastatic Colorectal Cancer as a Paradigm. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2017 Nov;1:1-8. doi: 10.1200/CCI.17.00108. PMID 30657405
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• DERIVEDLicitra L, Storkel S, Kerr KM, Van Cutsem E, Pirker R, Hirsch FR, Vermorken JB, von Heydebreck A, Esser R, Celik I, Ciardiello F. Predictive value of epidermal growth factor receptor expression for first-line chemotherapy plus cetuximab in patients with head and neck and colorectal cancer: analysis of data from the EXTREME and CRYSTAL studies. Eur J Cancer. 2013 Apr;49(6):1161-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2012.11.018. Epub 2012 Dec 19.