Chemotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Chemotherapy, including details on cancer treatment, side effects, drugs.

Retrospective study of capecitabine and celecoxib in metastatic colorectal cancer: potential benefits and COX-2 as the common mediator in pain, toxicities and survival?

Lin EH, Curley SA, Crane CC, Feig B, Skibber J, Delcos M, Vadhan SR, Morris J, Ayers GD, Ross A, Brown T, Rodriguez-Bigas MA, Janjan N

Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. elin@mdanderson.org

OBJECTIVE: COX-2 activation may mediate capecitabine induced toxicities, eg, hand-foot syndrome (HFS) and colorectal cancer progression, both of which may be improved by concurrent celecoxib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From October 2000 to December 2003, 66 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer received concurrent capecitabine at 1000 mg/m/d b.i.d. and celecoxib at 200 mg b.i.d. (XCEL). Twenty-four patients were chemo-naive, 42 patients were second-line; while 34 had XCEL with radiation. RESULTS: The median duration of XCEL was 7.2 months (range, 1.5-38 months). Ninety percent of Grade 2/3 HFS (17%) occurred after 6 months and incidence of grade 3/4 diarrheas was 8%. The overall response rate was 38% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26-51%), with 11 patients (17%) achieving complete responses and 2 patients (3%) with near complete responses. Six patients (9%) become resectable after sustaining treatment response. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was 8.3 months (95% CI, 7.0-11.0 months) and 22 months (95% CI, 17.8-31.5 months), respectively. Improved median PFS of 14.5 months (P = 0.0001) and OS of 31.5 months (P = 0.005) were noted in patients with normal lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (n = 37) than patients with high levels of LDH (n = 29). CONCLUSIONS: XCEL integrating radiation may improve response rate and survival and reduce toxicities, notably HFS for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, leading to a randomized phase III study.

Published 6 June 2006 in Am J Clin Oncol, 29(3): 232-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Chemotherapy Research Today. All Rights Reserved.