Background: As of 2006, bevacizumab was available for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in British Columbia (BC). This study compares survival between referred patients diagnosed with mCRC in 2003/2004 (pre-bevacizumab era) and 2006 (bevacizumab era).
Patients and methods: The BC cancer agency (BCCA) is a cancer network treating approximately 60% of patients with mCRC in BC. For this study, all patients in the BCCA diagnosed with mCRC in 2003/2004 and 2006 were included. The primary objective was to compare overall survival (OS) between the 2 cohorts.
Results: One thousand four hundred seventeen patients were included: 969 from 2003/2004, and 448 from 2006. Between 2003/2004 and 2006, the proportion of patients treated with systemic therapy for mCRC increased (61.1% to 67.6%; P = .02). The only significant difference in treatment between the cohorts was in the proportion of patients who received bevacizumab (5.9% to 30.6%; P < .001). Median OS significantly differed between the 2 cohorts (13.8 to 17.3 months; P < .001). Median OS for patients who received systemic therapy increased (18.6-23.6 months; P = .001). Median OS for patients who did not receive systemic therapy was unchanged (6.1-5.9 months; P = .65).
Conclusion: In this population-based study, median OS for mCRC significantly increased between 2003/2004 and 2006. An increase in the proportion of patients treated with systemic therapy, and the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy, seem to have contributed to this improvement in survival.
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