Targeted agents for adjuvant therapy of colon cancer

Abstract

Adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer consists primarily of combinations of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV) (with infusional or bolus 5-FU) with oxaliplatin or oral capecitabine. The angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab and the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor cetuximab have shown activity when combined with 5-FU/LV-based regimens as first-line treatment of advanced disease and are currently being evaluated as part of adjuvant therapy in colon cancer. Bevacizumab is being evaluated in combination with FOLFOX4 (5-FU/LV/oxaliplatin), FOLFOX6, or XELOX (capecitabine/oxaliplatin) in the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project C08 trial, the AVANT (AVastin adjuvANT) trial, and the Intergroup Rectal Adjuvant trial. Cetuximab is being evaluated in combination with FOLFOX4 and FOLFOX6 in the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N0147 trial and the Pan European Trials in Adjuvant Colon Cancer (PETTAC) 8 trial.