Manitnance for colon cancer – pro
The providers based themselves on a single study by Wang et al, but a systematic review and meta-analysis of 12 relevant randomized clinical trials comprising 5540 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were treated with different strategies that continuing full cytotoxic chemotherapy until progression without a period of observation or maintenance treatment is not beneficial. Maintenance treatment with a fluoropyrimidine with or without bevacizumab is the preferred maintenance strategy, based on an observed significant improvement in progression-free survival (primary outcome measure) but not in overall survival. Wand study was a phase II study of 47 patients and he concluded that Reduced-dose capecitabine plus cetuximab after initial chemotherapy is a novel maintenance therapy for patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer that achieved good outcomes and tolerable nonserious AEs.
M. Sonbol et al, The Role of Maintenance Strategies in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Oncol. 2020;6(3):e194489.
Lu Wang et al, Effect of Reduced-Dose Capecitabine Plus Cetuximab as Maintenance Therapy for RAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer A Phase 2 Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(7):e2011036.