Dr. Arnold on a Phase III Trial Examining Options for Maintenance Therapy in mCRC

Dirk Arnold, MD, director, Department of Medical Oncology, Tumour Biology Centre, Freiburg, Germany, discusses a phase III trial looking at options for maintenance therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study was presented at the ESMO 16th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.

There is currently some uncertainty as to how to use maintenance therapy after standard induction chemotherapy. Patients on this trial were randomized to continue to receive fluoropyrimidine and bevacizumab, bevcizumab alone, or to discontinue treatment.

When considering re-induction, Arnold says, bevacizumab alone as maintenance was not inferior to standard 5FU plus bevacizumab. Discontinuing treatment was inferior.

When considering time from randomization to first progression, the best option was 5FU plus bevacizumab, followed by bevacizumab alone. Discontinued treatment was the worst option, Arnold says.

Researchers concluded that maintenance therapy with any fluoropyrimidine and bevacizumab should be continued until first progression.