Updated X-ACT Study Results Presented

RCELONA-Colon cancer patients who received oral capecitabine (Xeloda) after surgery had significantly better 5-year survival rates than those given IV 5-FU/LV chemotherapy, according to a preplanned multivariate analysis of the X-ACT trial data presented at the 2008 World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (Twelves et al: poster 0-033). With a median follow-up of 7 years, 5-year overall survival was 71.4% for capecitabine vs 68.4% for 5-FU/LV (HR 0.86). Capecitabine was associated with fewer adverse events, except for hand-foot syndrome, “which might be a clinical marker of optimal exposure to capecitabine,” the authors said.