Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy Plus Targeted Agents Demonstrate Long-Term Efficacy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Results from a real-world study confirmed that oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plus molecular targeted agents demonstrate long-term efficacy among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
“The combination of oxaliplatin-based doublet chemotherapy and molecular targeted agents is the standard first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer,” stated Kazumasa Yamamoto, MD, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan, and coauthors. “However, the temporal evolution of associated treatment outcomes is unclear.”
In this meta-analysis, researchers collected data from 5424 patients enrolled across 13 randomized trials to receive oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plus either bevacizumab or anti-EGFR antibodies. Primary end points included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and post-progression survival between 2004 and 2008, 2009 and 2013, and 2014 and 2017.
At analysis, the median OS was 21.4 months between 2004 and 2008, 28.6 months between 2009 and 2013, and 29.7 months between 2014 and 2017. A similar trend was observed in PFS and post-progression survival. Treatment period was identified as a prognostic factor for OS and PFS via multivariable analysis. Subgroup analysis results determined that left-sided and RAS wild-type tumors were associated with improved OS. Increased use of subsequent therapy prolonged post-progression survival.
“We demonstrated progressive improvements in survival outcomes for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plus molecular targeted agents,” concluded Dr Yamamoto et al. “The findings highlight the importance of biomarker-driven treatment strategies and the evolving role of subsequent therapies in optimizing clinical outcomes.”
Source:
Yamamoto K, Bando H, Misumi T, et al. Chronological survival improvement over time with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plus targeted agents in metastatic colorectal cancer: An ARCAD database study. Eur J Cancer. Published online: October 2, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2025.116034
