Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh tested the combination of trimetrexate (TMTX) and capecitabine (Xeloda™) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose disease had already gotten worse with previous treatments. All patients had received 5FU (flourouracil) and 94% had received irinotecan (Camptosar™). This was the second or third treatment regimen for all patients in the study.
Although the combination showed some effectiveness and was tolerated by patients, there were other current treatments that were more active, the research team concluded.
In the phase I part of the study, they were able to determine a tolerable dose of 100 mg/m² and 1000 mg/m² of capecitabine. Serious side effects included abdominal pain in 12.5% of patients and vomiting in 9.4.%.
Twenty-seven patients were included in evaluation of effectiveness. One patient had a complete response, another a partial response to the combination for an overall response rate of 7.7%. The median time until the cancer progressed was 3.3 months and the median overall survival time was 5.5 months.
Khalid Matin M.D. led the research team who concluded,
The combination of TMTX and CAP is well tolerated. However, recent studies have shown more active regimens in the second- and third-line metastatic setting.
[Read the study abstract in the October 2005 *American Journal of Clinical Oncology*](http://www.amjclinicaloncology.com/pt/re/ajco/abstract.00000421-200510000-00002.htm;jsessionid=DRiuNuvn4zz9M04ZmT6mCxWyaXmmGcTVfGHCcwJk2is2iVRHDQFv!-1202648512!-949856145!9001!-1)
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