RETRO-TAS, a Retrospective Observational Study of Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Chemorefractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Background: Trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) is an oral antimetabolite agent comprised of trifluridine, a thymidine-based nucleoside analogue that inhibits cell proliferation following its incorporation into DNA, and tipiracil that helps maintain the blood concentration of trifluridine by inhibiting the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase which inactivates trifluridine. It is approved as a third-line treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and is administered at 35 mg/m(2) two times daily from day 1 to 5 and from day 8 to 12 every 28 days. The aim of this investigator-initiated retrospective study (RETRO-TAS; NCT04965870) was to document real-world data on the clinical efficacy of FTD/TPI in patients with chemorefractory mCRC. Methods: The clinical characteristics of patients with mCRC treated with FTD/TPI in 8 Cancer Centres were collected to assess physician’s choice in the third or beyond line of treatment as well as the duration of treatment, dose modification, and toxicity. In addition, other important prognostic features related to mCRC such as molecular profile, performance status (PS), and primary site were analyzed. Statistical analysis for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), 6-/8-month PFS rate and disease control rate (DCR) along with Cox regression model, Kaplan–Meier curves, and log-rank tests were carried out by using Stata/MP 16.0 for Windows. Results: From October 2018 to October 2021, a total of 200 patients with mCRC and a median age of 67.0 (IQR 58.0, 75.0) years were treated with FTD/TPI. Τhe median follow-up time was 14 months (IQR 7, 23), 158 PDs and 106 deaths were reported at the time of this analysis. Of all the patients, 58% were males and 58% had mCRC at diagnosis. The molecular analysis identified mutations in KRAS (52%), NRAS (5%), HER2 (3.5%), BRAF (3.5%), and MSI (9%). Previous treatments included radical surgery in 51.5% and adjuvant chemotherapy in 39.5% of patients. FTD/TPI was administered in the third- (70.5%), fourth- (17.0%), or fifth-line (12.5%) treatment setting. Serious adverse events related to FTD/TPI included neutropenia (2%), anaemia (1%), thrombocytopenia (0.5%), diarrhoea (0.5%), nausea (0.5%), and fatigue (4%). A reduction of FTD/TPI dose, delay of next cycle initiation, and shorter duration were reported in 25%, 31%, and 14.5% of patients, respectively. Of all the patients 71.5% received FTD/TPI as monotherapy, 24.5% in combination with bevacizumab, and 4.0% with an anti-EGFR agent. The median FTD/TPI treatment duration was 119.5 days and 81% of patients discontinued treatment due to progressive disease. The DCR recorded by investigators’ assessment was 45.5%. The median PFS was 4.8 and the median OS was 11.4 months. The 6- and the 8-month PFS rate was 41.4% and 31.5%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, PS > 1 and presence of liver and lung metastasis were adversely associated with PFS and OS whereas mutational status and tumor sidedness were not. Conclusions: RETRO-TAS is a real-world observational study that confirms and adds on the findings of the pivotal RECOURSE Phase III study in relation to the efficacy of FTD/TPI in the third-line setting and in all subgroups of patients regardless of mutational status and sidedness.