Phase III Multicenter Randomized Trial of Oxaliplatin Added to Chronomodulated Fluorouracil–Leucovorin as First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: To study how adding oxaliplatin (l-OHP) to chronomodulated fluorouracil (5-FU)–leucovorin (LV) affected the objective response rate, as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred patients from 15 institutions in four countries were randomly assigned to receive a 5-day course of chronomodulated 5-FU and LV (700 and 300 mg/m2/d, respectively; peak delivery rate at 0400 hours) with or without l-OHP on the first day of each course (125 mg/m2, as a 6-hour infusion). Each course was repeated every 21 days. Response was assessed by extramural review of computed tomography scans. RESULTS: Grade 3 to 4 toxicity from 5-FU–LV occurred in ≤ 5% of the patients (≤ 1% of the courses). Grade 3 to 4 diarrhea occurred in 43% of the patients given l-OHP (10% of the courses), and less than 2% of the patients had severe hematotoxicity. Thirteen percent of the patients had moderate functional impairment from peripheral sensory neuropathy. Sixteen percent of the patients rec...