Study protocol of the FIRE-8 (AIO-KRK/YMO-0519) trial: a prospective, randomized, open-label, multicenter phase II trial investigating the efficacy of trifluridine/tipiracil plus panitumumab versus trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Long-Term Progression-Free Survival of a Pre-Treated Patient with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Receiving Trifluridine/Tipiracil

Trifluridine/tipiracil is approved for the use in later or last-line setting in previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who progressed on standard anti-tumor drugs including 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan, oxaliplatin, anti-VEGF and anti-EGFR antibodies, or who are not considered candidates for those standard therapies. In this report, we describe a 67-year-old male patient with KRAS-mutated mCRC and metachronous liver and lung metastasis who failed prior 5-FU- and irinotecan-containing regimens, but then showed long-term disease control for 31 months on single-agent trifluridine/tipiracil given as second-line treatment. According to our experience, trifluridine/tipiracil is a feasible and effective treatment option in earlier but not necessarily last-line therapy in mCRC patients who are not considered candidates for doublet or triplet chemotherapy. Besides its efficacy, it is associated with maintained quality of life and a manageable toxicity profile. Considering increasing age of mCRC patients and their wish for maintaining an independent lifestyle, further research on the use of trifluridine/tipiracil in earlier lines of systemic mCRC therapy is warranted.

Molecular mechanisms targeting drug-resistance and metastasis in colorectal cancer: Updates and beyond

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed malignancy and a major leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advances in therapeutic regimens, the number of patients presenting with metastatic CRC (mCRC) is increasing due to resistance to therapy, conferred by a small population of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells. Targeted therapies have been highly successful in prolonging the overall survival of patients with mCRC. Agents are being developed to target key molecules involved in drug-resistance and metastasis of CRC, and these include vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase, in addition to immune checkpoints. Currently, there are several ongoing clinical trials of newly developed targeted agents, which have shown considerable clinical efficacy and have improved the prognosis of patients who do not benefit from conventional chemotherapy. In this review, we highlight recent developments in the use of existing and novel targeted agents against drug-resistant CRC and mCRC. Furthermore, we discuss limitations and challenges associated with targeted therapy and strategies to combat intrinsic and acquired resistance to these therapies, in addition to the importance of implementing better preclinical models and the application of personalized therapy based on predictive biomarkers for treatment selection.

Real-World Activity and Safety of Trifluridine-Tipiracil Plus Bevacizumab Therapy in Patients with Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

The combination of trifluridine-tipiracil and bevacizumab was compared with trifluridine-tipiracil monotherapy in a randomized, open-label, phase II trial, resulting in a statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), with tolerable toxicity in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC); however, evidence supporting the role of this combination in a real-world setting is limited.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our work was to provide further evidence on the activity and safety of this combination in a real-world series of Western mCRC patients refractory or intolerant to previous therapies.

PATIENT AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, observational study of patients with mCRC refractory or intolerant to standard therapies. Patients were treated with trifluridine-tipiracil and bevacizumab. Previous therapy with fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, bevacizumab, aflibercept, regorafenib, and cetuximab or panitumumab (only RAS wild-type) was allowed, as was previous participation in clinical trials. Clinicopathological characteristics, overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), PFS, and safety data were retrospectively collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

We recorded 31 patients treated between 1 December 2017 and 30 June 2022. Median age was 69 years (range 38-82 years), 39% were male, 100% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 0-1, tumor location was left-sided in 77% of cases, 54% had synchronous presentation, 35% were RAS mutant, 3% were BRAF mutant, and 71% underwent primary tumor resection; 64% of patients had liver metastases, 55% had lung metastases, and 23% had peritoneal carcinomatosis. The median number of previous treatment lines was 2 (range 0-5), and 84% of patients received at least one previous anti-angiogenic agent. The ORR and DCR were 3% and 71%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 8 months (range 2-39), median PFS was 6 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1-8.9 months) and median OS was 14 months (95% CI 10.1-17.8 months). Adverse events of any grade were reported in 58% of patients. The most common grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (19%) and anemia (6%); 35% of patients required either dose delays or dose reductions due to toxicity. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis was administered either on first or subsequent cycles of treatment in 35% of patients. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Sixty percent of the patients who discontinued treatment eventually received one or more lines of subsequent therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our series provides further evidence on the activity and safety of the combination of trifluridine-tipiracil and bevacizumab in a real-world series of Western refractory mCRC patients.