The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the application of the chemotherapy FOLFIRI and cetuximab works better when given with scheduled breaks or continuously in adults with metastatic colorectal cancer. The main question it aims to answer is, whether worsening of disease after 12 months of treatment is lower when the treatment is given with breaks or given continuously. It will also answer the question whether the quality of life is better and side effects are less if chemotherapy is given with breaks. Additionally, the treatment breaks will be controlled by blood tests and imaging examinations. A novel blood test will be introduced to investigate, whether worsening of the disease might be detected before the imaging, and whether a quicker reaction by re-starting the therapy would help the patients. Participants will: * receive an established chemotherapy mit FOLFIRI and cetuximab * Receive blood tests every 4 weeks and imaging investigations every 12 weeks * fill out questionnaires to report their quality of life
This is a combined multicenter, randomized phase III clinical trial and interventional clinical performance study according to IVDR investigating the superiority of intermittent application of FOLFIRI plus cetuximab followed by a scheduled treatment pause compared to continuous treatment with FOLFIRI plus cetuximab until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. This study is accompanied by a translational research program. This study protocol is driven by a CTR-conform question and primary endpoint, the PFS from randomization to progression on treatment at 12 months, and supplemented by a separate, complementary, interventional clinical performance study to assess ctDNA as biomarker of early disease progression as a key secondary endpoint. Details regarding the IVD part are specified in the complementary interventional clinical performance study protocol. Treatment is planned until progression, death or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed up with regard to survival and if applicable subsequent anti - cancer treatments until death or -after end of study treatment- for at least 3 years after start of treatment, whichever date is earlier.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
267
Cetuximab 500 mg/m², 90 min IV infusion on d1; Irinotecan: 180 mg/m², 90-120 min IV infusion on d1; Folinic acid: 400mg/m², 1-2h IV Infusion on d1; 5-FU: 2400 mg/m², 46 h IV infusion on d1. Cycles are repeated on day 15.
Determination of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the peripheral blood, part 1: retrospective threshold determination to predict radiological disease progression in Arm 2; part 2: prospective validation of the in part 1 identified ctDNA threshold to guide the scheduled treatment breaks and treatment in Arm 2
Charite University, Berlin
Berlin, Germany
Progression-free survival (PFS) on treatment rate at 12 months
Percentage of patients who did not experience disease progression or death, whichever occurs first, while receiving active treatment for 12 months starting from randomization.
Time frame: 12 months
PFS1 to PFSN
Each PFS from treatment start with FOLFIRI+cetuximab to the first disease progression in the respective treatment period
Time frame: up to 24 months
Overall survival (OS)
Time from randomization to the date of death by any cause
Time frame: At least 5 years after randomization
Objective Response Rate (ORR)
Radiological objective response as determined by RECIST 1.1 criteria
Time frame: up to 24 months
Dynamics of the tumor markers CEA and CA19-9
Time frame: Up to 24 months
Early Tumor Shrinkage (ETS)
Radiological reduction of tumor volume by 20% at the first re-staging (8 weeks)
Time frame: 8 weeks
Depth of Response (DpR)
Maximum relative decrease of radiologically determined tumor mass in percent
Time frame: up to 24 months
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as additional prospective biomarker of serum RAS/BRAF wild-type status and predictor early radiological disease progression
Prospective validation to use ctDNA based RAS/BRAF mutational analysis in addition to tissue-based RAS/BRAF testing to exclude RAS/BRAF mutant tumors from treatment, definition and validation of a threshold value in ctDNA change predicting progressive disease during treatment pause
Time frame: Up to 24 months
Quality of Life (QoL)
QoL as assessed with the QoL questionnaire EQ-5D-5L
Time frame: up to 24 months
Adverse events
Type, incidence, severity, and causal relationship to IMPs of non-serious adverse events and serious adverse events (severity evaluated according to CTCAE version 5.0)
Time frame: up to 24 months
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