{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.06348246674727932, 'fraction_numerical': 0.04050785973397823, 'mean_word_length': 4.667808219178082, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 1, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE
For almost 40 years, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) had been the only drug with demonstrated activity against (CRC), commonly used in combination with leucovorin (LV). Oxaliplatin and capecitabine are two relatively novel drugs used in the treatment of CRC. These drugs have been found to act synergistically, both in vivo and in vitro and their combination (XELOX) is highly active in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of XELOX in patients with mCRC.


METHODS
The study endpoints were response rates, toxicity, progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). XELOX was administered as first line treatment to patients with mCRC. Patient selection criteria included histological confirmation of mCRC, ECOG performance status (PS) <or=2, and adequate bone marrow, renal and hepatic function. Patients received oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) i.v., day 1, and oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14, every 3 weeks.


RESULTS
34 patients were treated with XELOX; males/ females 23/11, median age 53.5 years (range 42-65), ECOG PS 0/1 52%/48%. Metastatic sites were the liver (23/34; 67%), lung (7/34; 20%), and bone (4/34; 11%). No patient achieved complete response (CR), 14 patients showed partial response (PR), 8 stable disease (SD) and 11 progressed (PD). Median PFS was 5.5 months, median OS 12.9 months and 1-year survival 52%.


CONCLUSION
The combination of oral capecitabine with i.v. oxaliplatin appears to be effective and well tolerated in patients with mCRC.