Raltitrexed (Tomudex) versus standard leucovorin-modulated bolus 5-fluorouracil: Results from the randomised phase III Pan-European Trial in Adjuvant Colon Cancer 01 (PETACC-1).

Author(s): Popov I, Carrato A, Sobrero A, Vincent M, Kerr D, Labianca R, Raffaele Bianco A, El-Serafi M, Bedenne L, Paillot B, Mini E, Sanches E, Welch J, Collette L, Praet M, Wils J

Affiliation(s): Institute of Oncology and Radiology, Clinic for Medical Oncology, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. ipopov@ncrc.ac.yu

Publication date & source: 2008-10, Eur J Cancer., 44(15):2204-11. Epub 2008 Aug 15.

Publication type: Clinical Trial, Phase III; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

OBJECTIVES: PETACC-1 assessed if raltitrexed is non-inferior to 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in adjuvant stage III colon cancer. METHODS: Non-inferiority required both HR for RFS and OS<1.25 at 1-sided alpha=0.05. Patients (1921) were randomised to six cycles of 5-FU/LV (n=969) or eight cycles of raltitrexed (n=952). We report the final results in 993 eligible patients who started and completed the allocated treatment (489 5-FU/LV and n=504 Raltitrexed) of whom respectively 146 and 148 died, respectively. RESULTS: The trial closed prematurely when 17 (1.9%) raltitrexed-related deaths were reported. Haematological and gastrointestinal toxicities were more frequent with 5-FU/LV, liver toxicities with raltitrexed. Raltitrexed was stopped for toxicity in 13.2% and 5-FU/LV in 8.5%. Sixty-day mortality was 9% versus 7%. With 4.1 years median follow-up, the HR for RFS was 1.16 (90% CI 0.99-1.37) and that for OS was 1.01 (90% CI 0.84-1.23). CONCLUSION: The trial failed to demonstrate non-inferiority of raltitrexed. FUNDING: Free drugs and financial support from AstraZeneca.