Colorectal Cancer Coalition

Older patients benefit from XELOX after surgery

Update from 2010 GI Cancers Symposium

Colon cancer patients over 70 actually had a greater reduction in disease-free survival than did younger ones with a new regimen of Xeloda® and oxaliplatin compared to older IV 5-FU treatments according to a new analysis reported at the GI Cancers Symposium in Orlando.

With the bolus IV 5-FU and leucovorin regimens, stage III colon cancer patients over 70 had about a 60 percent chance of being alive and free from cancer three years after surgery. With a combination of Xeloda (capecitabine) and oxaliplatin in a treatment called XELOX, their three-year disease-free survival was 66 percent.

Younger patients had about a 3 percent absolute improvement between the two treatments from 69 percent to 72 percent.

The Xeloxa clinical trial compared the oral drug Xeloda plus intravenous oxaliplatin to then standard IV 5-FU and leucovorin regimens after surgery for stage III colon cancer. The trial (NO16968) enrolled nearly 1,900 patients, including more than 400 who were age 70 and over.

After three years, there was a six percentage point increase in disease-free survival in the older patients. The spread remained true when the cut-off age was dropped to 65. Patients 65 and older had a 62 percent chance of disease-free survival at three years on the older 5-FU treatments compared to 68 percent on the XELOX regimen.

Speaking during a GI Symposium press briefing, Daniel G Haller, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, said,

XELOX is a new standard of care for patients with early colon cancer, regardless of age. Patients receiving XELOX immediately after surgery live disease-free for longer, and there is a trend towards superior overall survival with XELOX.

SOURCE: Haller et al., Efficacy findings from a randomized phase III trial of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin versus bolus 5-FU/LV for stage III colon cancer (NO16968): No impact of age on disease-free survival (DFS), Abstract #284, 2010 GI Cancers Symposium.

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This news article was originally posted on January 25th, 2010 and was accurate at the time of publication. Since then, information may have changed or links may now be outdated. Please call our Answer Line 1-877-427-2111 for the latest information, or talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.

Posted by Kate Murphy on January 25th, 2010
Tags: capecitabine, elderly, oxaliplatin, recurrence risk, Xeloda

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