Efficacy of Quxie Capsule in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Long-Term Survival Update of A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial

Objective: To verify the efficacy of Quxie Capsule in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Methods: It was a block randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Sixty patients with mCRC were randomized into 2 groups at a 1:1 ratio. The patients in the treatment group received conventional therapy including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and supportive care, and Chinese herbal medicine combined with Quxie Capsule (each capsule of 0.4 g was orally administered at 50 mg/kg, twice daily, day 1-20, in a 30-day course) for 3 months. The patients in the control group received conventional therapy and Chinese herbal medicine combined with placebo for 3 months. Main outcome measures were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Subgroup analysis was performed according to therapy lines, right or left-sided colon, targeted therapy and RAS gene status to determine the differences in PFS and OS between the two groups. Patients were followed up every 3 months until December 31st, 2018.

Results: Median follow-up time was 19.4 months. The median OS was 23.9 months in the treatment group [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.9-28.5] vs. 14.3 months in the control group (95% CI 11.3-21.4, P<;0.05). Hazard ratio (95% CI) was 0.55 (0.31-0.95, P=0.040). There were no significant differences between the two groups in PFS (P>0.05). In the subgroups of ⩾second-line therapy, non-targeted therapy, RAS gene wild type and left-sided colon, the treatment group showed a significant survival benefit compared with the control group (P<;0.05 or P<;0.01), respectively.

Conclusion: Quxie Capsule can reduce the risk of death and prolong the OS of patients with mCRC. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IOR-16009733).