Capecitabine and mitomycin C as third-line therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer resistant to fluorouracil and irinotecan

What Is Next for Refractory Colorectal Cancer CRC? Looking Beyond SUNLIGHT, FRESCO2, RECURSE and CORRECT

The treatment landscape of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has undergone significant evolution, with the introduction of targeted therapies and immunotherapy dramatically altering the management of microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors. However, the majority of patients, particularly those with microsatellite-stable (MSS) disease, remain refractory to immunotherapy, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes the current treatment options for heavily pretreated mCRC patients who are not eligible for targeted therapies or clinical trials. Approved therapies for refractory mCRC, including regorafenib, trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI), and fruquintinib, demonstrate modest survival benefits but are often associated with significant toxicities. Additionally, innovative approaches targeting specific mutations such as KRAS G12C, HER2 amplification, and BRAF V600E are discussed, highlighting emerging combination regimens with immune checkpoint inhibitors and other agents to overcome resistance mechanisms. The potential of rechallenge strategies using previously administered therapies, such as oxaliplatin and anti-EGFR agents, is examined, supported by retrospective and prospective studies. Furthermore, the role of older drugs like mitomycin C in combination with capecitabine is revisited, offering insights into their viability in advanced treatment settings. Ongoing clinical trials with novel agents and combinations are expected to provide further clarity on optimizing sequential treatment regimens and personalizing therapy for mCRC patients. This review emphasizes the need for comprehensive molecular profiling and shared decision-making to improve outcomes and quality of life in this challenging patient population.

Mitomycin C and capecitabine: An additional option as an advanced line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

In recent years survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), though still limited, has improved significantly; clearly, when the disease becomes refractory to standard regimens, additional treatment options are needed. Studies have shown that mitomycin C (MMC), an antitumor antibiotic, and capecitabine, a precursor of 5-fluorouracil, may act synergistically in combination. The efficacy of MMC/capecitabine has been demonstrated in the first-line setting, but only a few small studies have tested it in the advanced-line setting, with contradictory results.

AIM

To summarize our experience using MMC/capecitabine as an advanced line treatment for mCRC.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary medical center including all patients with histologically proven mCRC who were treated with MMC/capecitabine after at least two previous lines of standard chemotherapy in 2006-2020. Data on patient demographics and past medical history, laboratory, pathological, and radiological factors, and treatment and survival were collected from the files. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The association of patient and tumor characteristics with treatment effectiveness and toxicity was evaluated with univariate and multivariate proportional hazard Cox regression analyses. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 119 patients of median age 64 years (range 37-85). Patients received a median of 2 MMC/capecitabine cycles (range 0.5-9.0). Thirty-four patients (28.6%) experienced grade ≥ 3 toxicity, including 2 (1.7%) with grade 4; there was no drug-related mortality. The objective response rate was 0.8%, and the disease control rate, 24.4%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.1 mo (range 0.2-20.3), and median overall survival, 4.8 mo (range 0.2-27.5). The 6-month overall survival rate was 44%; 8.7% of patients remained progression-free. Factors associated with longer PFS were lower gamma-glutamyl transferase level (P = 0.030) and primary tumor location in the left colon (P = 0.017). Factors associated with longer overall survival were lower gamma-glutamyl transferase level (P = 0.022), left-colon tumor location (P = 0.044), low-to-moderate histological grade (P = 0.012), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1 (P = 0.036), and normal bilirubin level (P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

MMC/capecitabine is an active, available, and relatively safe regimen for use beyond standard lines of therapy in mCRC. Several clinical and laboratory parameters can identify patients more likely to benefit.

Implementing patient derived organoids in functional precision medicine for patients with advanced colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Patient Derived Organoids (PDOs) emerged as the best technology to develop ex vivo tumor avatars. Whether drug testing on PDOs to identify efficient therapies will bring clinical utility by improving patient survival remains unclear. To test this hypothesis in the frame of clinical trials, PDO technology faces three main challenges to be implemented in routine clinical practices: i) generating PDOs with a limited amount of tumor material; ii) testing a wide panel of anti-cancer drugs; and iii) obtaining results within a time frame compatible with patient disease management. We aimed to address these challenges in a prospective study in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Fresh surgical or core needle biopsies were obtained from patients with CRC. PDOs were established and challenged with a panel of 25 FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapies and targeted therapies) to establish a scoring method ('chemogram') identifying in vitro responders. The results were analyzed at the scale of the cohort and individual patients when the follow-up data were available.

RESULTS

A total of 25 PDOs were successfully established, harboring 94% concordance with the genomic profile of the tumor they were derived from. The take-on rate for PDOs derived from core needle biopsies was 61.5%. A chemogram was obtained with a 6-week median turnaround time (range, 4-10 weeks). At least one hit (mean 6.16) was identified for 92% of the PDOs. The number of hits was inversely correlated to disease metastatic dissemination and the number of lines of treatment the patient received. The chemograms were compared to clinical data obtained from 8 patients and proved to be predictive of their response with 75% sensitivity and specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

We show that PDO-based drug tests can be achieved in the frame of routine clinical practice. The chemogram could provide clinicians with a decision-making tool to tailor patient treatment. Thus, PDO-based functional precision oncology should now be tested in interventional trials assessing its clinical utility for patients who do not harbor activable genomic alterations or have developed resistance to standard of care treatments.

The effect of Mitomycin-C in neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (nCCRT) followed by total mesorectal excision has become the standard of care for advanced rectal cancer, but the most effective regimen of chemotherapeutic agents has not yet been determined. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Mitomycin-C (MMC) in nCCRT for rectal cancer.

METHODS

From 2000 to 2017, patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who received nCCRT followed by radical surgery were enrolled in our study. The patients were retrospectively separated into two groups according to nCCRT regimens (with or without MMC). Other factors related to cancer down-staging after nCCRT, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety-five patients received radiotherapy (RT) + MMC + oral tegafur-uracil (UFUR), and 191 patients received RT + UFUR without MMC as neoadjuvant CCRT. Adding MMC might increase the down-staging rate (odds ratio [OR] = 1.520, p = 0.058), and down-staging had significant effect to improve OS (OR = 1.726, p = 0.002) and DFS (OR = 2.185, p < 0.001). The OS and DFS were improved in patients who received MMC, although this result did not reach a statistically significant difference. There was a higher incidence of low-grade toxicities in the MMC group, especially neutropenia, genitourinary side effects, and dermatological side effects ( p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Adding MMC to the regimen of nCCRT for rectal adenocarcinoma is shown to increase tumor down-staging rate and improve disease-free and OS, although these benefits come at the cost of increased low-grade toxicities. Prospective randomized studies are needed to explore the role of MMC in nCCRT for rectal cancer.

Patient-Derived Organoid Serves as a Platform for Personalized Chemotherapy in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background

Addition of oxaliplatin to adjuvant 5-FU has significantly improved the disease-free survival and served as the first line adjuvant chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, a fraction of patients remains refractory to oxaliplatin-based treatment. It is urgent to establish a preclinical platform to predict the responsiveness toward oxaliplatin in CRC patients as well as to improve the efficacy in the resistant patients.

Methods

A living biobank of organoid lines were established from advanced CRC patients. Oxaliplatin sensitivity was assessed in patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs) in vitro and in PDO-xenografted tumors in mice. Based on in vitro oxaliplatin IC₅₀ values, PDOs were classified into either oxaliplatin-resistant (OR) or oxaliplatin-sensitive (OS) PDOs. The outcomes of patients undergone oxaliplatin-based treatment was followed. RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics tools were performed for molecular profiling of OR and OS PDOs. Oxaliplatin response signatures were submitted to Connectivity Map algorithm to identify perturbagens that may antagonize oxaliplatin resistance.

Results

Oxaliplatin sensitivity in PDOs was shown to correlate to oxaliplatin-mediated inhibition on PDO xenograft tumors in mice, and parallelled clinical outcomes of CRC patients who received FOLFOX treatment. Molecular profiling of transcriptomes revealed oxaliplatin-resistant and -sensitive PDOs as two separate entities, each being characterized with distinct hallmarks and gene sets. Using Leave-One-Out Cross Validation algorithm and Logistic Regression model, 18 gene signatures were identified as predictive biomarkers for oxaliplatin response. Candidate drugs identified by oxaliplatin response signature-based strategies, including inhibitors targeting c-ABL and Notch pathway, DNA/RNA synthesis inhibitors, and HDAC inhibitors, were demonstrated to potently and effectively increase oxaliplatin sensitivity in the resistant PDOs.

Conclusions

PDOs are useful in informing decision-making on oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy and in designing personalized chemotherapy in CRC patients.

Visfatin and Resveratrol Differentially Regulate the Expression of Thymidylate Synthase to Control the Sensitivity of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells to Capecitabine Cytotoxicity

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly lethal malignant cancer. Capecitabine, a 5-fluororacil (5-FU) derivate, is its first-line drug, but the resistance of CRC to capecitabine is still the most challenging factor for curing patients. It has been suggested that thymidylate synthase (TYMS) level might affect the capecitabine efficacy in CRC patients, but the mechanism still needs more elucidation. Obesity is a risk factor for CRC. Recently, a correlation between serum visfatin, an obesity-elicited adipokine, and CRC development has been found. Thus, the aim of present study is to examine the visfatin capacity in TYMS expression and in the development of capecitabine resistance of CRC. Moreover, an attractive natural component, i.e., resveratrol, has been proposed in anticancer therapy and has hence been examined in the present study to see its potential capacity in the alleviation of CRC resistance. Our results found that visfatin significantly reduces the CRC sensitivity to capecitabine by controlling the TYMS expression via p38 signaling and Sp1 transcription factor. Moreover, resveratrol could significantly alleviate the visfatin effect on capecitabine-treated CRC cells. These results provided new insights to understand the capecitabine susceptibility of CRC under a visfatin-containing environment and a possible therapeutic application of resveratrol in CRC patients with obesity.

A systematic review of salvage therapies in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Established that the only approved agents in previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) are trifluoridine/tipiracil and regorafenib, we conducted a systematic review of all the published phase 2-3 trials, with the scope to evaluate the benefit of any later-line regimens in refractory metastatic CRC.

METHODS

Phase 2-3 studies that enrolled patients with stage IV disease receiving salvage therapies for refractory CRC were identified using electronic databases (Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library). Clinical outcomes were pooled using a point estimates for the weighted values of median overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (ORR), stable disease rate (SD), and 6-month and 1-year OS.

RESULTS

Overall, 7556 patients were included from 67 studies (n = 70 arms). Overall, the pooled ORR and SD were 15.4% (95% CI 13-18%) and 36.9% (95% CI 33.5-40.6%). Median PFS, 6-month and 1-year OS, and median OS were 3.2 (95% CI 2.9-3.3) months, 65.4% (95% CI 61.9-68.8%), 36% (95% CI 32.3-39.9%) and 8.8 (95% CI 8.3-9.2) months. Overall survival was different in the monochemotherapy, polychemotherapy, chemotherapy + targeted therapy, and targeted therapy alone arms (7.6, 9.5, 10.3, and 7.9 months, respectively, P for difference = 0.01). Median PFS were respectively 2.3, 3.9, 3.8, and 2.6, respectively (P for difference < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, combination therapy (polychemotherapy with or without targeted agents) is associated with a higher control of disease and better outcome than approved agents. Treatment, if possible, should be personalized according to the patients' conditions, physician preference and molecular profile of disease.

Safety and Efficacy of s-MOX Regimen in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Who Developed Cardiotoxicity Following Fluoropyrimidine Administration: A Case Series

BACKGROUND

Fluoropyrimidines compose the backbone of regimens to treat many common solid tumors, including gastrointestinal (GI), breast and head/neck. As we continue to use these agents routinely, recognition of rare but real toxicities, such as cardiotoxicity, has also improved. The treatment options for patients who have encountered fluoropyrimidine-induced cardiotoxicity are limited as many anti-angiogenic drugs also pose a cardiac risk.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We present a case series of three patients who developed cardiotoxicity in the form of anginal-like symptoms, EKG changes and elevated cardiac enzymes on infusional 5-FU or capecitabine and were subsequently treated with the s-MOX (simplified-mitomycin-oxaliplatin) regimen for their metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). All three patients were tested for polymorphic abnormality of DYPD and TYMS.

RESULTS

All three patients were treated with s-MOX consisting of mitomycin-C 7 mg/m² on day 1 and oxaliplatin 85 mg/m² on days 1 and 15 (1 cycle = 28 days) after they encountered cardiotoxicity to 5-FU and/or capecitabine. None of these patients developed any cardiotoxicity on s-MOX. Overall, the MOX regimen was well tolerated. The most common toxicities included ≤ 2 grade peripheral neuropathy, nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Grade ≥ 3 toxicities included neutropenia (10%), thrombocytopenia (33%), vomiting (8%), and peripheral neuropathy (30%). DYPD gene was normal in all patients and TYMS was abnormal (2R/2R) in one patient.

CONCLUSION

This is the first case series that reports the safety and feasibility of s-MOX in patients with mCRC who developed cardiac toxicity to 5-FU or capecitabine. The s-MOX regimen may provide an alternative treatment option for patients who either develop fluoropyrimidine-related cardiotoxicity or who have abnormalities in the DYPD gene.

Chemotherapy with Mitomycin C and Capecitabine in Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer Pretreated with Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin

Aims and background

To assess the activity and tolerability of the combination of mitomycin C and capecitabine in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after failure of irinotecan- and oxaliplatin-containing regimens.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 28 patients with pretreated advanced colorectal cancer who had been treated with mitomycin C, 6 mg/m2 on day 1, and capecitabine, 1,900 mg/m2 on days 1–14, every 3 weeks. Tumor assessment was performed every 3 cycles, toxicity assessed at each cycle.

Results

Main patient characteristics were median age, 61 years (range, 35–73); male/female ratio, 16/12; single metastatic site involvement, 5/28 (18%); ≥3 metastatic sites, 10/28 (36%). Ninety-six courses of therapy were given (median number, 3; range, 1–9). Twenty-six patients were assessable for response, and all were assessable for toxicity. There was 1 partial response (4%) and 12 had stable disease (43%). Median time to progression was 2 months (range, 1–9) and median overall survival was 6 months (range, 1–29+), with a 1-year overall survival rate of 25%. The regimen was very well tolerated without significant hematological toxicity.

Conclusions

Our results are disappointing. Despite the good safety profile, they do not support further investigation or the routine use of this regimen in this setting.

Beyond second-line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review

Background

The optimal chemotherapeutic regimen for use beyond the second line for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unclear.

Materials and methods

We systematically searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE and Medline for records published between January 2002 and May 2017, and cancer congress databases for records published between January 2014 and June 2017. Eligible studies evaluated the efficacy, safety and patient-reported outcomes of monotherapies or combination therapies at any dose and number of treatment cycles for use beyond the second line in patients with mCRC. Studies were assessed for design and quality, and a qualitative data synthesis was conducted to understand the impact of treatment on overall survival and other relevant cancer-related outcomes.

Results

The search yielded 938 references of which 68 were included for qualitative synthesis. There was limited evidence to support rechallenge with chemotherapy, targeted therapy or both. Compared with placebo, an overall survival benefit for trifluridine/tipiracil (also known as TAS-102) or regorafenib has been shown for patients previously treated with conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapy. There was no evidence to suggest a difference in efficacy between these treatments. Patient choice and quality of life at this stage of treatment should also be considered when choosing an appropriate therapy.

Conclusions

These findings support the introduction of an approved agent such as trifluridine/tipiracil or regorafenib beyond the second line before any rechallenge in patients with mCRC who have failed second-line treatment.

Hepatic artery infusion with raltitrexed or 5-fluorouracil for colorectal cancer liver metastasis

AIM

To evaluate the efficiency and safety of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) using raltitrexed or 5-fluorouracil for colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis (CRCLM).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients with unresectable CRCLM who failed systemic chemotherapy and were subsequently treated with HAIC at our institute from May 2013 to April 2015 was performed. A total of 24 patients were treated with 5-fluorouracil, and 18 patients were treated with raltitrexed.

RESULTS

The median survival time (MST) from diagnosis of CRC was 40.8 mo in the oxaliplatin plus raltitrexed (TOMOX) arm and 33.5 mo in the oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX) arm (P = 0.802). MST from first HAIC was 20.6 mo in the TOMOX arm and 15.4 mo in the FOLFOX arm (P = 0.734). Median progression-free survival (PFS) from first HAIC was 4.9 mo and 6.6 mo, respectively, in the TOMOX arm and FOLFOX arm (P = 0.215). Leukopenia (P = 0.026) was more common in the FOLFOX arm, and hepatic disorder (P = 0.039) was more common in the TOMOX arm. There were no treatment-related deaths in the TOMOX arm and one treatment-related death in the FOLFOX arm. Analysis of prognostic factors indicated that response to HAIC was a significant factor related to survival.

CONCLUSION

No significant difference in survival was observed between the TOMOX and FOLFOX arms. HAIC treatment with either TOMOX or FOLFOX was demonstrated as an efficient and safe alternative choice.

Anal cancer - What is the optimum chemoradiotherapy?

Radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 5FU and Mitomycin C is the standard-of-care for squamous-cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA). Phase III trials combined radiation doses of 50-60 Gy with concurrent Fluoropyrimidines, Mitomycin C and Cisplatin in various doses and schedules. CRT is highly successful for early T1/T2 cancers, but results in appreciable late morbidities and still fails to control larger and node-positive tumours. Compliance to chemotherapy is important for local control. Modern radiotherapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), rotational IMRT, image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) have enabled smaller margins and highly conformal plans, resulting in decreased radiation doses to the organs at risk and ensuring a shorter overall treatment time. These advances offer the potential for integrating higher doses of radiation, escalation of the currently used drugs and the safe use of other more novel agents with acceptable toxicity. In this chapter potential novel approaches are discussed in the context of SCCA.

Y90 Radioembolization in chemo-refractory metastastic, liver dominant colorectal cancer patients: outcome assessment applying a predictive scoring system

BACKGROUND

In treatment-refractory liver dominant metastatic colorectal cancer, the role of liver directed therapies still is unclear. We sought to determine a prognostic score for Y90 radioembolization in these patients.

METHODS

We analyzed 106 patients with refractory liver dominant mCRC who had undergone a total of 178 Y90 radioembolizations with resin microspheres was collected. Potential factors influencing survival were analyzed using a Cox regression. The Log rank test served to establish prognostic factors and to form a clinical score for outcome prediction after Y90 radioembolization.

RESULTS

Median survival of all patients was 6.7 months. Neither age nor prior surgical or systemic therapy nor metastatic spread had an effect on survival. In contrast, hepatic tumor load, Karnofsky index as well as CEA and CA19-9 serums level had a significant influence (p < 0.001, p = 0.037, p = 0.023 and p < 0.001, respectively). These three factors formed a score with 1 point each for tumor load >20 %, CEA >130 ng/ml or CA19-9 > 200U/ml and Karnofsky index <80 %. Patients with a score of 0 and 1 displayed a median OS of 10.4 months. Patients with a score of 2 and 3 demonstrated a median OS of 5.1 months only (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Overaggressive patient selection for Y90 radioembolization of liver dominant chemorefractory mCRC is of questionable benefit. A scoring system comprising hepatic tumor load, CEA and CA19-9 serum levels and Karnofsky index (TuCK-score) may support an improved patient selection. In our cohort of liver only versus liver dominant disease, extrahepatic lung or lymphatic metastases did not significantly alter the prognosis.

Mitomycin-C+fluoropyrimidines in heavily pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review and evidence synthesis

Mitomycin-C (MMC) combined with fluoropyrimidines has historically been used for pretreated patients with some activity in this setting, in particular, as third-line chemotherapy (CT) or beyond. We have evaluated the efficacy and safety of MMC-based therapy as a further line of CT in advanced colorectal cancer. Prospective or retrospective studies of MMC-based CT were included in the pooled analysis. PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library database and CINAHL were searched systematically. The outcomes were progression-free survival, overall survival, overall response rate and grades 3-4 drug-related adverse events. Seventeen trials involving 681 patients were included in the analysis. Overall, the pooled average weighted progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.84 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5-3.1] and 7.47 (95% CI 6-8.9) months, respectively. The corresponding pooled overall response rate was 7.2% (95% CI 5.2-9.9%) and the pooled disease control rate was 38.7% (95% CI 31.7-46.3%). The G3-4 neutropenia and anaemia were the most frequent haematological toxicities (range 0-20%). Nonhaematological G3-4 toxicities were compatible with the associated agent. MMC with fluoropyrimidines represents a viable and active combination for pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer patients. It is thus an option when other agents have failed, or are unavailable or not indicated.

Role of Bcl-xL/Beclin-1 in synergistic apoptotic effects of secretory TRAIL-armed adenovirus in combination with mitomycin C and hyperthermia on colon cancer cells

In this study, we attempted to develop a multimodality approach using chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin C, biologic agent tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo-2L), and mild hyperthermia to treat colon cancer. For this study, human colon cancer LS174T, LS180, HCT116 and CX-1 cells were infected with secretory TRAIL-armed adenovirus (Ad.TRAIL) and treated with chemotherapeutic agent mitomycin C and hyperthermia. The combinatorial treatment caused a synergistic induction of apoptosis which was mediated through an increase in caspase activation. The combinational treatment promoted the JNK-Bcl-xL-Bak pathway which transmitted the synergistic effect through the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway. JNK signaling led to Bcl-xL phosphorylation at serine 62, dissociation of Bak from Bcl-xL, oligomerization of Bak, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential, and subsequent cytochrome c release. Overexpression of dominant-negative mutant of Bcl-xL (S62A), but not dominant-positive mutant of Bcl-xL (S62D), suppressed the synergistic death effect. Interestingly, Beclin-1 was dissociated from Bcl-xL and overexpression of dominant-negative mutant of Bcl-xL (S62A), but not dominant-positive mutant of Bcl-xL (S62D), suppressed dissociation of Beclin-1 from Bcl-xL. A combinatorial treatment of mitomycin C, Ad.TRAIL and hyperthermia induced Beclin-1 cleavage, but the Beclin-1 cleavage was abolished in Beclin-1 double mutant (D133A/D146A) knock-in HCT116 cells, suppressing the apoptosis induced by the combination therapy. We believe that this study supports the application of the multimodality approach to colon cancer therapy.

Pegylated liposomal mitomycin C prodrug enhances tolerance of mitomycin C: a phase 1 study in advanced solid tumor patients

Mitomycin C (MMC) has potent cytotoxicity but cumulative toxicity limits widespread use. In animals, pegylated liposomal mitomycin C lipid-based prodrug (PL-MLP) was well tolerated and more effective than free MMC. We evaluated PL-MLP in patients with advanced cancer. Twenty-seven patients were treated in escalating dose cohorts of 0.5–3.5 mg/kg (equivalent to 0.15–1.03 mg/kg MMC) every 4 weeks for up to 12 cycles, unless disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Pharmacokinetics were assessed during cycles 1 and 3. Per protocol maximum tolerated dose was not reached at 3.5 mg/kg. However, prolonged thrombocytopenia developed after repeated doses of 3 mg/kg or cumulative doses of 10–12 mg/kg. Dose-related grade 3 or higher adverse events included fatigue, anemia, and decreased platelets. C_max and AUC_0-∞ increased linearly over the dose range 0.5–2.0 mg/kg, and greater than linearly from 2.5 to 3.5 mg/kg; there were no significant differences in clearance of MLP between cycles 1 and 3. Median t_1/2 was 23 h among dose cohorts, with no trend by dose or cycle. One patient had a partial response. Stable disease was observed in 10 patients across all dose levels. PL-MLP has a long circulation time, was well tolerated, and can be administered to heavily pretreated patients at a single dose of 3.0 mg/kg and cumulative dose of 10–12 mg/kg before development of prolonged thrombocytopenia; this is nearly threefold the equivalent dose of MMC tolerated historically. This formulation may be active in a variety of tumor types and is better tolerated than free MMC.

Chemotherapy in the Setting of Severe Liver Dysfunction in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

The liver is the dominant site of metastases for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Depending on the timing of diagnosis and the biology of the disease, it is not uncommon for these patients to present with visceral crisis in the form of severe liver dysfunction. Treatment of these individuals is, however, difficult and challenging. The decision to consider chemotherapy in these dire circumstances entails consideration of numerous factors. If we were to focus on just the metabolism of the different drugs and biologic agents available to treat mCRC, both 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin alone or in combination with a monoclonal antibody are reasonable choices. Specifically, FOLFOX is a feasible and safe option in patients with mCRC with severe liver dysfunction. Choice of the biologic agent to add to the doublet chemotherapy could be individualized based on the RAS status and the clinical scenario. Based on the divergent experience of treating 2 cases and other prior reports, a summary of recommendations with a model in the form of a “therapeutic triad” is presented. The paper highlights the therapeutic challenges in patients with mCRC and severe liver dysfunction. The choice of chemotherapeutic agents and reports of other cases/series is also presented.

FOLFIRINOX bevacizumab is a promising therapy for chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, irinotecan and targeted therapies represent the standard treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. After failure of all these treatments, few options are available. In such chemorefractory patients the effect of triplet chemotherapy with bevacizumab (FOLFIRINOX bevacizumab) has never been investigated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

49 consecutive patients bearing unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer and who experienced failure to oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based chemotherapy were treated with oxaliplatin (85 mg/m(2)), irinotecan (180 mg/m(2)), leucovorin (400 mg/m(2)), and fluorouracil (400 mg/m(2) bolus then 2,400 mg/m(2)) repeated every 2 weeks.

RESULTS

Median age was 63 (range 36-82) years. After a median follow-up of 12 months, the median progression-free survival was 5.8 months (95% CI 3.4-6.8) and the median overall survival was 11.9 months (95% CI 8-18). The response rate after the cycle was evaluable for 36 patients, whereby we observed 18% (95% CI 8-35) partial or complete response, 45% (95% CI 28-68) stable disease of more than 2 months, and 37% (95% CI 21-58) progression.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that bevacizumab + FOLFIRINOX may be active in mCRC patients after failure of classical lines of chemotherapy.

Mitomycin C and capecitabine in pretreated patients with metastatic gastric cancer: a multicenter phase II study

PURPOSE

We conducted a multicenter phase II study to assess the toxicity and efficacy of a combination of mitomycin C (MMC) and capecitabine in pretreated patients with metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer.

METHODS

Thirty-nine patients (77 % male) between 33 and 78 years (median 66) with pretreated locally advanced or metastatic esophagogastric adenocarcinoma and eastern cooperative oncology group performance status of ≤2, measurable lesions, and adequate organ functions were recruited into the study. Eight patients (21 %) had received more than one prior chemotherapy regimen. Treatment consisted of three-weekly MMC 10 mg/m(2) day 1 and capecitabine 2,000 mg/m(2) (day 1-14; repeated day 22).

RESULTS

A median of three cycles of therapy was administered. Grade 3 toxicity occurred in 20 patients (54 %). Main grade 3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (11 %, n = 4), fatigue (8 %, n = 3), and neuropathy (8 %, n = 3). Two events of grade 4 toxicity were reported (5 %) (dyspnea and elevation of alkaline phosphatase due to bone metastases). Partial remission was noticed in 10.3 % (n = 4), stable disease in 33.3 % (n = 13) adding to a tumor control rate of 43.6 %. The median progression-free and overall survival were 2.8 and 5.6 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The combination of MMC and capecitabine exhibited a favorable tolerability profile in pretreated patients with gastric cancer. The disease control rate compares adequately with that of other phase II and phase III trials for second-line therapy in gastric cancer. This regimen may be considered as an alternative second-line treatment, especially for patients not suitable for or pretreated with taxanes and/or irinotecan.

Options for metastatic colorectal cancer beyond the second line of treatment

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, with recent advances in the management of unresectable metastatic lesions. The aim of this review is to discuss the remaining options for heavily pretreated patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer. Beyond second-line treatment, two epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, cetuximab and panitumumab, have a demonstrated clinical interest in patients with KRAS wild-type tumours. However, few data exist in patients pretreated with an anti-EFGR and who are being rechallenged with anti-EGFR drugs. Reintroduction of chemotherapy should be considered. In September 2012, regorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor was approved by the US Federal Drug Administration for patients refractory to other standard treatments. In the case of metastases limited to the liver, transarterial chemoembolization, hepatic artery infusion and radioembolization could also be discussed in selected patients. With the multiplication of therapeutic options in first-line, second-line treatment, and beyond, the concept of subsequent lines of chemotherapy should be replaced by a multiline strategy, dependent on the patient and on tumour biology. A better understanding of the tumour biology and predictive factors for the response to these therapies is needed, and further strategic trials are urgently warranted.

Mitomycin C potentiates TRAIL-induced apoptosis through p53-independent upregulation of death receptors: evidence for the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation

The discovery of the molecular targets of chemotherapeutic medicines and their chemical footprints can validate and improve the use of such medicines. In the present report, we investigated the effect of mitomycin C (MMC), a classical chemotherapeutic agent on cancer cell apoptosis induced by TRAIL. We found that MMC not only potentiated TRAIL-induced apoptosis in HCT116 (p53-/-) colon cancer cells but also sensitized TRAIL-resistant colon cancer cells HT-29 to the cytokine both in vitro and in vivo. MMC also augmented the pro-apoptotic effects of two TRAIL receptor agonist antibodies, mapatumumab and lexatumumab. At a mechanistic level, MMC downregulated cell survival proteins, including Bcl2, Mcl-1 and Bcl-XL, and upregulated pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax, Bim and the cell surface expression of TRAIL death receptors DR4 and DR5. Gene silencing of DR5 by short hairpin RNA reduced the apoptosis induced by combination treatment of MMC and TRAIL. Induction of DR4 and DR5 was independent of p53, Bax and Bim but was dependent on c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK) as JNK pharmacological inhibition and siRNA abolished the induction of the TRAIL receptors by MMC.

Bevacizumab plus FOLFIRI-3 in chemotherapy-refractory patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the era of biotherapies

BACKGROUND

The optimal chemotherapeutic regimen suitable for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients previously treated with 5-fluorouracil (5FU), oxaliplatin, irinotecan and biotherapies remains an unresolved issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of bevacizumab combined with FOLFIRI-3 in mCRC after failure of prior chemotherapy including fluoropyrimidine, irinotecan and oxaliplatin.

METHODS

Patients were treated with bevacizumab in combination with FOLFIRI-3 every 14 days. The association between treatment efficacy and visceral fat area as measured by CT scan or Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) change after 2 months was also studied.

RESULTS

Forty-nine consecutive patients were treated. Four hundred and twenty four cycles of chemotherapy were delivered. Median follow-up was 11 months. Eleven patients (22.4%) had an objective partial response and 26 (53.1%) were stabilized. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7 and 13 months respectively. Four grade 4 adverse events occurred (1 digestive perforation, 1 rectal ulcer, 1 pulmonary embolism, and 1 febrile aplasia) but no toxic death was observed. Grade 3 adverse events occurred in 18 patients (38%) including asthenia in 15 patients (30%), nausea and vomiting in 4 patients (8%), diarrhea in 11 patients (22%), anemia in 4 patients (8%), neutropenia in 10 patients (20%) and thrombopenia in 4 patients (8%). Visceral Fat area was significantly lower in responder patients. CEA change at 2 months predicted improved overall survival.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that bevacizumab combined with FOLFIRI3 may be active in mCRC patients after failure of all classical lines of chemotherapy.

Raltitrexed and oxaliplatin hepatic arterial infusion for advanced colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined hepatic arterial infusion (HAI), which is a combination of raltitrexed and oxaliplatin, in refractory colorectal carcinoma with only liver metastases. Seventeen consecutive patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer, after the failure of two lines of systemic chemotherapy, were treated with HAI raltitrexed (3 mg/m over 1 h) followed by oxaliplatin (130 mg/m over 2 h) every 3 weeks between January 2006 and January 2009. All patients presented with the metastatic disease limited to the liver and had failed at least two lines of chemotherapy, which contained oxaliplatin, irinotecan and a fluoropyrimidine. The median number of cycles was six (range 1-15). We observed three complete responses and eight partial responses among assessable patients (overall response rate in intention to treat, 65%; 95% confidence interval, 44.3-87.7%). The median time to progression was 10.5 months and the median survival time was 27.5 months. Toxicity included grade 3-4 neutropenia (in 17%), grade 3-4 thrombopenia (in 17%), and grade 2 abdominal pain (in 47%). In conclusion, the combination regimen of HAI raltitrexed and oxaliplatin is feasible and promising in patients who presented isolated hepatic metastases of colorectal cancer after failure of irinotecan and oxaliplatin treatment. Further evaluation of this combination is required.

Mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer in the era of personalized treatment

The molecular and genetic subtyping of cancer has allowed the emergence of individualized therapies. This approach could potentially deliver treatments that have both increased efficacy as well as reduced toxicity. A well-defined subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by a deficiency in the mismatch repair (MMR) pathway. MMR deficiency not only contributes to the pathogenesis of a large proportion of CRC, but also determines the response to many of the drugs that are frequently used to treat this disease. In this Review we describe the MMR deficient phenotype and discuss how a deficiency in this DNA repair process may impact on the management of CRC, including surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and the choice of systemic agents for the palliation of advanced disease. We also discuss how the DNA repair defect in MMR deficient CRC could be exploited in the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

KRAS testing in metastatic colorectal cancer: implications on the use of biologic agents

Colorectal cancer is a significant healthcare problem in the United States, with meaningful improvement in survival over the past few years. Much of that improvement is attributable to the availability of molecularly targeted therapies, such as inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor (bevacizumab) and epidermal growth factor receptor (cetuximab and panitumumab), in addition to active cytotoxic agents. KRAS mutations have long been described to play an adverse prognostic role in colorectal cancer. KRAS is downstream from EGFR, and oncogenic mutations will yield a constitutively active protein that will override EGFR control of downstream signaling. Such mutations in KRAS would therefore confer resistance to anti-EGFR antibodies. The cumulative results of several trials incorporating more than a thousand patients in studies of cetuximab and panitumumab confirm that the presence of KRAS mutation in tumors is highly predictive of resistance to anti-EGFR therapy. These findings are likely to change the landscape of metastatic CRC treatment by providing an improved patient-tailored approach.

Bevacizumab plus FOLFIRI or FOLFOX in chemotherapy-refractory patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab associated with an irinotecan or oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was proved to be superior to the chemotherapy alone in first or second line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, it was reported to have no efficacy in 3rd or later-line, alone or with 5FU. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of bevacizumab combined with FOLFIRI or FOLFOX in mCRC who have failed prior chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine plus irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin.

METHODS

Thirty one consecutive patients treated between May 2005 and October 2006 were included in this retrospective study. All of them have progressed under a chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine plus irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin and received bevacizumab (5 mg/kg) in combination with FOLFIRI or simplified FOLFOX4 every 14 days.

RESULTS

Ten patients (32.2%) had an objective response (1 CR, 9 PR) and 12 (38.8%) were stabilized. The response and disease control rates were 45.4% and 100% when bevacizumab was administered in 2nd or 3rd line and 25% and 55% in 4th or later line respectively (p = 0.024 and p = 0.008). Among the patients who had previously received the same chemotherapy than that associated with bevacizumab (n = 28) the overall response rate was 35.7% and 39.3% were stabilized. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were of 9.7 and 18.4 months respectively. Except a patient who presented a hypertension associated reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, tolerance of bevacizumab was acceptable. A rectal bleeding occurred in one patient, an epistaxis in five. Grade 1/2 hypertension occurred in five patients.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that bevacizumab combined with FOLFOX or FOLFIRI may have the possibility to be active in chemorefractory and selected mCRC patients who did not receive it previously.

A retrospective study of bifractionated CPT-11 with LF5FU infusion (FOLFIRI-3) in colorectal cancer patients pretreated with oxaliplatin and CPT-11 containing chemotherapies

OBJECTIVE

The chemotherapy regimen suitable for advanced colorectal cancer patients previously treated with 5 fluorouracil (5FU); oxaliplatin and irinotecan remains an unresolved issue. The poor response rates and progression-free survival achieved with FOLFIRI in the second-line of therapy and the schedule-dependent activity of irinotecan, prompted us to assess the efficacy and tolerability of FOLFIRI3 regimen in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) previously exposed to irinotecan and oxaliplatin.

METHODS

Twenty-seven metastatic CRC patients previously exposed to irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin were treated with the FOLFIRI3 regimen. They received an irinotecan injection at 100 mg/m(2) before and at the end of a 2400 mg/m(2) 5FU continuous infusion. Two hundred and six cycles of chemotherapy were delivered in an outpatient basis.

RESULTS

FOLFIRI3 regimen was well tolerated. Grade 3 of 4 adverse events included nausea and vomiting (18%), diarrhea (11%), anemia (7%), and neutropenia (7%). Partial responses were observed in 2 patients and 10 patients achieved stable diseases. From the start of FOLFIRI3, time to progression was 4.47 months (0-11 months) and median overall survival was 8.9 months (0.72-21.4 months). Interestingly, FOLFIRI3 treatment was associated to a clinical benefit in 7 out of 17 patients who previously progressed "on-therapy" or less than 3 months after the completion of a previous FOLFIRI chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that fractionated irinotecan administration might restore the clinical benefit of this molecule in patients resistant to FOLFIRI.

Mitomycin C in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumours: recent data and perspectives

Mitomycin C (MMC) is among the most effective anticancer drugs used for the treatment of a broad variety of tumours. This review summarises results of MMC-based chemotherapy in gastrointestinal tumours with special focus on current treatment options in gastric, pancreatic, biliary tract, colorectal, and anal cancer. In addition, these new developments are critically discussed with special attention to their potential clinical relevance.

A pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study on metronomic irinotecan in metastatic colorectal cancer patients

The pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of metronomic irinotecan have not been studied in cancer patients. The aim of the study is to investigate the PK/PD profile of irinotecan/SN-38 administered by metronomic schedule. Twenty chemotherapy-refractory or chemotherapy-resistant patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma were enrolled. Irinotecan was infused continuously as follows: irinotecan 1.4 mg m⁻² day⁻¹ (n=7), 2.8 mg m⁻² day⁻¹ (n=5) and 4.2 mg m⁻² day⁻¹ (n=8). Drug levels were examined by HPLC, whereas ELISAs and real-time RT-PCR were used, respectively, for the measurement of plasma levels and gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of vascular endothelial growth factor/thrombospondin-1. Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that the steady-state levels (C_ss) of SN-38 were between 1 and 3.3 ng ml⁻¹. From a PD point of view, higher thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) plasma levels (153.4±30.1 and 130.4±9.2% at day 49 vs pretreatment values at 1.4 and 2.8 mg m⁻² day⁻¹ dose levels, respectively) and increased gene expression in PBMC were found during the metronomic irinotecan infusion, especially at the lower doses. Four patients (20%) obtained a stable disease (median 3.9 months) despite progressing during previous standard irinotecan schedule. Toxicities >grade 1 were not observed. Metronomic irinotecan administration is very well tolerated and induces an increase of gene expression and plasma concentration of TSP-1 at low plasma SN-38 concentrations.

Capecitabine in combination with docetaxel and mitomycin C in patients with pre-treated tumours: results of an extended phase-I trial

Preclinical data suggest that the anti-tumour activity of capecitabine is enhanced by taxanes and mitomycin C through up-regulation of thymidine phosphorylase (TP). Here, we studied safety and efficacy of the combination of capecitabine with docetaxel and mitomycin C. Two dose levels (DL) were investigated: capecitabine 1000 mg m(-2) b.i.d. on days 1-14, docetaxel 40 mg m(-2) i.v. day 1, mitomycin C 4 or 6 mg m(-2) i.v. day 1 (DL I or II). Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. The primary aim was to determine the dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) during the first two treatment cycles and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). A total of 46 patients (pts) refractory to standard therapies were enrolled, of whom the majority had gastrointestinal tumours (n=40). 14 pts had received >/=3 lines of prior chemotherapy. At DL I, one out of six pts experienced DLT. At DL II, two out of six pts had DLT (mucositis grade 3). Thus, DL I was determined as MTD. Among a total of 37 pts treated on DL I the following toxicities were observed during cycles 1 and 2 (number of patients with grade 1/2/3/4 toxicity; NCI-CTC v. 3.0): anaemia 10/8/3/0, leucocytopenia 4/11/1/2, thrombocytopenia 0/1/2/0, diarrhoea 8/1/2/0, stomatitis/mucositis 3/3/1/0, nausea/vomiting 10/2/0/0, and hand-foot skin reaction 5/1/1/0. Of 30 pts who received at least two treatment cycles nine achieved complete or partial remissions, six pts achieved minor remissions, and seven pts had stable disease (tumour control rate 73%). Of note, four out of 10 patients with pancreatic cancer had partial remissions. In conclusion, capecitabine can safely be combined with docetaxel (40 mg m(-2)) and mitomycin C (4 mg m(-2)). The established regimen was well tolerated and the preliminary efficacy data in this heavily pre-treated patients population appears to be promising.

Third-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

The past years' therapy for colorectal cancer has evolved rapidly with the introduction of novel cytotoxic agents such as irinotecan, capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Further advances have been achieved with the integration of targeted agents such as bevacizumab, cetuximab and recently, panitumumab. As a result, third-line treatment is now a necessary step in the optimal treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a literature review of English language publications on third-line therapy for MCRC from January 2000 to April 2007. Data on median overall survival (mOS), median time to progression (mTTP) and response rate were recorded.

RESULTS

We found 27 articles and 22 abstracts to fulfil the criteria. Patients who received regimens containing oxaliplatin and infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) demonstrated mTTP up to 7 months and a mOS of 16 months. With irinotecan and 5-FU, mOS around 8 months were reported and with cetuximab combined with irinotecan, the highest mOS was 9.8 months.

CONCLUSION

Third-line therapy in advanced colorectal cancer may improve mOS for patients with MCRC. Therefore, randomized studies should be conducted in the future.

UFT/leucovorin and mitomycin C as salvage treatment in patients with advanced colorectal cancer – a retrospective analysis

Active anticancer drugs and/or combination regimens for the treatment of patients failing oxaliplatin, irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil are desperately needed. In this analysis we describe the safety and efficacy of the combination of mitomycin C, UFT and leucovorin in such an extensively pretreated patient population. Between January 2002 and June 2004, a total of 41 patients were treated with mitomycin C (8 mg/m on day 1) and UFT (350 mg/m)+ leucovorin (90 mg) both divided into three daily doses from day 1 to day 14 every 4 weeks. All patients had failed prior first-line and second-line treatment with oxaliplatin, irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety data of this potential salvage therapy regimen. Thirty-nine patients were evaluable for the response. The overall response rate (intent-to-treat) was 7.3% (95% confidence interval, 2.5-19.4%) and disease stabilization was achieved in 29.3%. Median time to progression was 2.5 months (range, 1.5-13.5) and median overall survival was 6 months (range, 1.5-26). Myelosuppression was the most frequent side effect. Grade 3 hematotoxicity, however, was observed in only three patients. The most common nonhematological toxicities consisted of mild and reversible nausea, emesis and diarrhea; again, severe symptoms were only occasionally seen. These data show that the combination of mitomycin C/UFT/leucovorin is safe and active in about one-third of patients in terms of abrogation of progression in extensively pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer.

A phase II trial of S-1 monotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer after failure of irinotecan- and oxaliplatin-containing regimens

This is the first phase II study of S-1 monotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after failure of both irinotecan- and oxaliplatin-containing regimens. The initial dose of S-1 was 35 mg m⁻², administered twice daily for 14 days every 3 weeks. Treatment was repeated until the occurrence of disease progression. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. S-1 was administered to 21 patients as third-line therapy and to the remaining seven patients as fourth-line therapy. Of 26 evaluable patients, the overall response rate was 14.3% (95% CI, 0.4–28.1), and the disease control rate was 42.9% (95% CI, 23.3–62.4). With a median follow-up period of 227 days, median time to progression and overall survival duration were 91 and 414 days, respectively. The 1-year survival rate of all patients was 60.7%. There was no grade 4 toxicity. Grade 3 haematological toxicities were documented only in two patients. In conclusion, S-1 shows potential as a salvage regimen in heavily pretreated colorectal cancer patients. The twice-daily dose of 35 mg m⁻² was well tolerated and can be used in designing further combination chemotherapy.

Capecitabine and mitomycin C is an effective combination for anthracycline- and taxane-resistant metastatic breast cancer

Capecitabine is converted to 5-fluorouracil by thymidine phosphorylase, and mitomycin C is capable of upregulating the expression of thymidine phosphorylase suggesting a synergistic effect. Fifty-three patients (median age 62 years) with anthracycline- and taxane-resistant, metastatic breast cancer received mitomycin C 6 mg/m(2) on day 1, and capecitabine (Xeloda) 2,000 mg/m(2)/day from day 1 to day 14 with cycles repeated every 4 weeks. Overall, 77.4% had visceral metastases and 33 were pretreated with >/=3 chemotherapy lines. A median of 6 cycles were given (range 1-19) with a complete response observed in 2 patients (3.9%), partial response in 17 (33.3%) and stable disease in 19 (37.2%). Overall response rate was 37.2% (95% CI, 24.0-50.5%), with a median duration of 10.4 months. Median time to progression was 8.1 months and median survival was 17.4 months (1- and 2-year survival rates of 60 and 28%, respectively). Toxicity was mild. The most frequent grade 3/4 events were neutropenia (5.7% of patients), diarrhea (3.8%), and deep venous thrombosis (3.8%). Capecitabine plus mitomycin C may represent an effective and manageable treatment option for advanced breast cancer patients resistant to anthracyclines and taxanes. This approach provides an alternative for pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer.