Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Colon Cancer

Overview

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known which schedule of chemotherapy is most effective in treating colon cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare different schedules of chemotherapy using carboplatin with fluorouracil and leucovorin in treating patients who have stage IIB or stage III colon cancer.

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the disease-free survival of patients with completely resected stage IIB or III colon cancer treated with adjuvant chronomodulated vs standard schedule fluorouracil and leucovorin calcium with or without carboplatin. * Compare the overall survival of patients treated with these regimens. * Compare the toxicity of these regimens in these patients. * Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens. * Determine the dose intensities of fluorouracil and carboplatin in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center and disease stage (IIB vs III). Patients are randomized to 1 of 4 treatment arms. * Arm I (standard schedule): Patients receive fluorouracil (5-FU) IV continuously and leucovorin calcium (CF) IV on days 1 and 2. * Arm II (standard + carboplatin schedule): Patients receive 5-FU and CF as in arm I plus carboplatin IV on day 1. * Arm III (chronomodulated schedule): Patients receive 5-FU IV continuously and CF IV continuously on days 1-4. * Arm IV (chronomodulated + carboplatin schedule): Patients receive 5-FU and CF as in arm III plus carboplatin IV continuously on days 1-4. Quality of life is assessed. Treatment in all arms repeats every 14 days for up to 9 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 660-800 patients will be accrued for this study.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (2)

Outcomes