Abstract
The standard adjuvant treatment for stage III colon cancer in Europe is the 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX-4) regimen, given for 6 months. Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the EGF receptor, appears to be effective and safe when combined with oxaliplatin-based regimens, including FOLFOX-4, in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. PETACC-8, a randomized, multicenter, European Phase III trial, is comparing the efficacy of cetuximab plus FOLFOX-4 with that of FOLFOX-4 alone in patients with stage III colon cancer. The study began in December 2005 and approximately 2000 patients are to be enrolled in nine European countries. The primary end point is disease-free survival time, analyzed after a minimum follow-up of 3 years per patient. Secondary end points include overall survival, treatment compliance, safety and pharmacogenomic parameters.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.