ASCO: FOLFOX Noninferior to Chemoradiotherapy for Overall Survival in Rectal Cancer
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, June 9, 2023 -- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) is noninferior to preoperative chemoradiotherapy with respect to overall survival for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who are eligible for sphincter-sparing surgery, according to a study published online June 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from June 2 to 6 in Chicago.
Deborah Schrag, M.D., M.P.H., from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and colleagues conducted a multicenter noninferiority trial of neoadjuvant FOLFOX as compared to chemoradiotherapy among patients with rectal cancer that had been clinically staged as T2 node-positive, T3 node-negative, or T3 node-positive who were candidates for sphincter-sparing surgery. Disease-free survival was assessed as the primary end point.
Data were analyzed for 1,128 patients who started treatment: 585 and 543 in the FOLFOX and chemoradiotherapy groups, respectively. The researchers found that FOLFOX was noninferior to chemoradiotherapy for disease-free survival at a median follow-up of 58 months (hazard ratio for recurrence of death, 0.92; 90.2 percent confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.14; P = 0.005 for noninferiority). Five-year disease-free survival was 80.8 and 78.6 percent in the FOLFOX and chemoradiotherapy groups, respectively. With respect to overall survival and local recurrence, the groups were similar.
"The findings in this trial have extended the therapeutic options by showing the noninferiority of neoadjuvant FOLFOX with selective use of chemoradiotherapy to the prevailing standard of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2023
Read this next
Recommendations Issued for Palliative RT for Symptomatic Bone Mets
THURSDAY, May 30, 2024 -- In a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Society for Radiation Oncology and published online May 22 in Practical Radiation Oncology...
Living Outside of Comprehensive Cancer Center Catchment Area Tied to Later-Stage Diagnosis
TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 -- Disadvantaged populations and those living outside of a comprehensive cancer center's main catchment area have higher odds of receiving a diagnosis of...
Disparities Seen in Cancer Treatment Delivery at Minority-Serving Hospitals
TUESDAY, May 28, 2024 -- There are systemic disparities in definitive cancer treatment delivery at minority-serving hospitals (MSHs) versus non-MSHs, according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.