Biological-guided Metronomic Chemotherapy as Maintenance Strategy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Based upon biological behavior, those mCRC patients who respond well (SD, PR or CR according to RECIST Criteria) after 16-18 weeks of standard doublet chemotherapy as induction may enrolled into this study, randomly divided into capecitabine metronomic group or standard dosage group. The duration of disease control after randomization(PFS2) and progression free survival from enrollment (PFS1) are primary endpoints. Meanwhile, the overall survival, safety and quality of life are secondary endpoints. Exploratory markers involving angiogenesis (serum VEGF, PDGF, Tie-1 and Tie2, etc) and immune function (CD clusters, serum tumor mutation burden(TMB), etc), are conducted via liquid biopsy.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Maximum age

75 Years

Before the start of induction therapy:

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histological proof of colorectal cancer (in case of a single metastasis, histological or cytological proof of this lesion should be obtained);
* Distant metastases which are unresectable (patients with only local recurrence are not eligible);
* Measurable disease (\> 1 cm on spiral CT scan or \> 2 cm on chest X-ray; liver ultrasound is not allowed). Serum CEA may not be used as a parameter for disease evaluation;

Exclusion criteria

* Prior adjuvant treatment for stage II/III colorectal cancer ending within 6 months before the start of induction treatment
* Any prior adjuvant treatment after resection of distant metastases
* Previous systemic treatment for advanced disease

At randomisation:

Inclusion criteria:

* WHO performance status 0-1 (Karnofsky PS \> 70%);
* Disease evaluation with proven SD, PR or CR according to RECIST after first-line induction treatment;
* Laboratory values obtained ≤ 2 weeks prior to randomisation: adequate bone marrow function (Hb \> 6.0 mmol/L, absolute neutrophil count \> 1.5 x 109/L, platelets \> 100 x 109/L), renal function (serum creatinine ≤ 1.5x ULN and creatinine clearance, Cockroft formula, \> 30 ml/min), liver function (serum bilirubin ≤ 2 x ULN, serum transaminases ≤ 3 x ULN without presence of liver metastases or ≤ 5x ULN with presence of liver metastases);
* Life expectancy \> 12 weeks;
* Age: 18-75 years;
* Negative pregnancy test in women with childbearing potential;
* Expected adequacy of follow-up;
* Institutional Review Board approval;
* Written informed consent Exclusion criteria
* Chronic active infection;
* Any other concurrent severe or uncontrolled disease preventing the safe administration of study drugs;

• BACKGROUNDKareva I, Waxman DJ, Lakka Klement G. Metronomic chemotherapy: an attractive alternative to maximum tolerated dose therapy that can activate anti-tumor immunity and minimize therapeutic resistance. Cancer Lett. 2015 Mar 28;358(2):100-106. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2014.12.039. Epub 2014 Dec 23. PMID 25541061
• BACKGROUNDTournigand C, Cervantes A, Figer A, Lledo G, Flesch M, Buyse M, Mineur L, Carola E, Etienne PL, Rivera F, Chirivella I, Perez-Staub N, Louvet C, Andre T, Tabah-Fisch I, de Gramont A. OPTIMOX1: a randomized study of FOLFOX4 or FOLFOX7 with oxaliplatin in a stop-and-Go fashion in advanced colorectal cancer--a GERCOR study. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jan 20;24(3):394-400. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2005.03.0106. PMID 16421419
• BACKGROUNDAndre T, Tournigand C, Mineur L, Fellague-Chebra R, Flesch M, Mabro M, Hebbar M, Postel Vinay S, Bidard FC, Louvet C, de Gramont A. Phase II study of an optimized 5-fluorouracil-oxaliplatin strategy (OPTIMOX2) with celecoxib in metastatic colorectal cancer: a GERCOR study. Ann Oncol. 2007 Jan;18(1):77-81. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdl336. Epub 2006 Oct 9. PMID 17030548
• BACKGROUNDSimkens LH, van Tinteren H, May A, ten Tije AJ, Creemers GJ, Loosveld OJ, de Jongh FE, Erdkamp FL, Erjavec Z, van der Torren AM, Tol J, Braun HJ, Nieboer P, van der Hoeven JJ, Haasjes JG, Jansen RL, Wals J, Cats A, Derleyn VA, Honkoop AH, Mol L, Punt CJ, Koopman M. Maintenance treatment with capecitabine and bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer (CAIRO3): a phase 3 randomised controlled trial of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group. Lancet. 2015 May 9;385(9980):1843-52. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62004-3. Epub 2015 Apr 7. PMID 25862517
• DERIVEDShi M, Ma T, Xi W, Jiang J, Wu J, Zhou C, Yang C, Zhu Z, Zhang J. A study of capecitabine metronomic chemotherapy is non-inferior to conventional chemotherapy as maintenance strategy in responders after induction therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. Trials. 2020 Mar 6;21(1):249. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-4194-6. PMID 32143730