EXTRA Trial-Evaluation of capecitabine treatment with radiotherapy (RT) in anal cancer: Preliminary results on toxicity and outcome
14085 Background: Phase III trials have shown RT + 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) + mitomycinC (MMC) as the standard treatment for patients with epidermoid anal carcinoma. The objective of this trial is to determine if capecitabine in combination with MMC has a similar outcome in terms of complete response (CR) rate and toxicity to a 5-day infusion of 5-FU. Capecitabine is a rational alternative to 5-FU as these cancers express high levels of thymidine phosphoralase. Methods: Main eligibility criteria are histologically proven anal carcinoma (epidermoid, squamous, basaloid), fit to receive capecitabine and MMC and ineligible for the ongoing phase III UK trial, ACT II. Exclusion criteria include complete local excision, prior chemoradiation, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease and known HIV+ve. All patients receive: 50.4Gy in 28F(RT) and capecitabine 1650mg/m2/day on each RT treatment day (M-F) over 6 weeks. In addition patients receive MMC 12mg/m2, day 1 only. Assessment of response is by CT scan at 4 wks post chemoradiation. Results: To date 18/30 patients have been registered. Pre-treatment characteristics are: median age 59 yrs (44–85); 7 male, 11 female; 13 Canal, 5 Margin; 5T1, 4T2, 6T3, 2T4, 1Tx; 4N+ve, 13N-ve, 1Nx. Data on 14 evaluable pts are presented here. RT compliance: 12 pts completed planned treatment, treatment was interrupted in 2 cases (chest pain 1; machine breakdown 1). Chemotherapy compliance: 10 pts completed protocol treatment, in 3 pts chemotherapy was affected due to toxicity (1 dose reduced, 2 stopped early 1 due to chest pain and 1 due to grade 3 skin and diarrhoea). One patient decided to stop treatment. Grade 3 toxicity was reported in 2 pts during treatment: dyspnoea 1, diarrhoea 1. Four weeks post chemoradition, 10 had CR, 3 had partial response and 1 pt was not assessable. Thirteen pts are alive and disease free at a median follow-up of 6 months (range 1 -13). One pt has relapsed in an inguinal node 9 months after the end of treatment following a previous CR. Conclusions: This early information suggests that this regimen can be given without interruption and with acceptable toxicity. The early response data is encouraging and the trial aims to reach target accrual by Summer 2006. Educational grant provided by Roche pharmaceuticals. [Table: see text]