Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the planned continuation of bevacizumab beyond first progression (BBP) in Japanese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
Methods: Previously untreated patients with assessable disease were treated with mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab until tumor progression, followed by FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab. The primary endpoint of the study was the second progression-free survival (2nd PFS), defined as duration from enrollment until progression after the second-line therapy. Secondary endpoints of the study were overall survival (OS), survival beyond first progression (SBP), progression-free survival (PFS), response rate (RR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety.
Results: In the first-line setting, 47 patients treated with mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab achieved RR of 61.7 %, DCR of 89.4 %, and median PFS of 13.1 months (95 % CI, 8.7-17.5 months). Thirty-one patients went on to receive a second-line therapy with FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab and achieved RR of 27.6 %, DCR of 62.1 %, and median PFS of 7.3 months (95 % CI, 5.0-9.6 months). Median 2nd PFS was 18.0 months (95 % CI, 13.7-22.3 months). The median OS and SBP were 30.8 months (95 % CI, 27.6-34.0 months) and 19.6 months (95 % CI, 13.5-25.7 months), respectively. No critical events associated with bevacizumab were observed during the second-line therapy.
Conclusion: The planned continuation of bevacizumab during a second-line treatment, BBP strategy, is feasible for the Japanese mCRC patients.