The subgroups of the phase III RECOURSE trial of trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) versus placebo with best supportive care in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Eur J Cancer. 2018 Feb:90:63-72. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.009. Epub 2017 Dec 21.

Abstract

Background: In the phase III RECOURSE trial, trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) extended overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) with an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory or intolerant to standard therapies. The present analysis investigated the efficacy and safety of trifluridine/tipiracil in RECOURSE subgroups.

Methods: Primary and key secondary end-points were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model in prespecified subgroups, including geographical subregion (United States of America [USA], European Union [EU], Japan), age (<65 years, ≥65 years) and v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma 2 viral oncogene homologue (KRAS) status (wild type, mutant). Safety and tolerability were reported with descriptive statistics.

Results: Eight-hundred patients were enrolled: USA, n = 99; EU, n = 403; Japan, n = 266. Patients aged ≥65 years and those with mutant KRAS tumours comprised 44% and 51% of all patients in the subregions, respectively. Final OS analysis (including 89% of events, compared with 72% in the initial analysis) confirmed the survival benefit associated with trifluridine/tipiracil, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.81; P = 0.0001). Median OS in the three regions was 6.5-7.8 months in the trifluridine/tipiracil arm and 4.3-6.7 months in the placebo arm (USA: HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.34-0.94; P = 0.0277; EU: HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.48-0.80; P = 0.0002; Japan: HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.57-1.00; P = 0.0470). Median PFS was 2.0-2.8 months for trifluridine/tipiracil and 1.7-1.8 months for placebo; HRs favoured trifluridine/tipiracil in all regions. Similar clinical benefits of trifluridine/tipiracil were observed in elderly patients and in those with mutant KRAS tumours. There were no marked differences among subregions in terms of safety and tolerability.

Conclusions: Trifluridine/tipiracil was effective in all subgroups, regardless of age, geographical origin or KRAS status. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01607957.

Keywords: Fluoropyrimidine; Metastatic colorectal cancer; Randomised controlled trial; TAS-102; Tipiracil; Trifluridine.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / mortality
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Drug Combinations
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Pyrrolidines
  • Thymine
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Trifluridine / therapeutic use*
  • Uracil / analogs & derivatives*
  • Uracil / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Drug Combinations
  • Pyrrolidines
  • trifluridine tipiracil drug combination
  • Uracil
  • Thymine
  • Trifluridine

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01607957