First-line chemotherapy with irinotecan plus capecitabine for advanced colorectal cancer

14602 Background: The effective, oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine is increasingly replacing intravenous (IV) 5-FU/LV in colorectal cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of the combination chemotherapy with irinotecan plus capecitabine (XELIRI), in patients with advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma. Methods: Patients with advanced colorectal adenocarcinoma received a first-line chemotherapy with capecitabine (1000 mg/m2 twice daily) on days 1–14 and irinotecan (240 mg/m2) on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. Results: Twenty-eight patients were evaluable for response. Baseline characteristics: 18men, 10 women; median age 65.5 years (range, 49–73); colon cancer (71%), rectal cancer (29%). Most common metastatic sites were the liver (53.5%), lymph nodes (43%), lung (21%) and bones (18%). There were 7 partial responses (25%), 8 cases of stable disease (28.5%), and 13 cases of disease progression (46.5%). The median survival was 14 months (range, 2–28.8 months) and median progression-free survival was 7 months (range, 6- 26 months). The median number of cycles received was 7 (range, 3–15 cycles). Frequently encountered therapy-related events were leukopenia and gastrointestinal side effects including diarrhea. Conclusions: First-line capecitabine/ irinotecan is an active combination for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer achieving high efficacy with a good safety profile. No significant financial relationships to disclose.