Is FOLFOXIRI alone or combined with targeted therapy administered as first-line treatment a reasonable choice for most patients with mCRC? Systematic review and network meta-analysis

Whether the intensive administration of folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and irinotecan (FOLFOXIRI) alone or combined with target therapy as first-line treatment could improve the prognosis of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients is controversial. PubMed, the Cochrane Collaboration Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, ClinicalTrials.gov, the databases of conferences were queried to identify RCTs evaluating the efficacies and toxicities of intensive therapies used for first-line treatment of mCRC patients. The search included articles dated from the inception of these resources until March 31, 2017. We estimated HRs for OS and PFS and RRs for ORR, the R0 resection rate, and toxicities. Ten RCTs comprising 2,506 patients were included in this network meta-analysis. The PFS of patients administered FOLFOXIRI plus target therapy experienced prolonged PFS and OS and improved ORRs compared with FOLFOX/FOLFIRI plus target therapy (PFS: HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59–0.86; OS: HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.94; ORR: RR 1.66, 95% CI 0.96–2.88; R0 resection rate: RR 2.66, 95% CI 1.86–3.82). There were no significant differences between PFS, OS, ORRs, or R0 resection rates and toxicities of patients administered FOLFOXIRI and FOLFOX/FOLFIRI plus target therapy. Further, FOLFOXIRI plus target therapy did not increase toxicities compared with FOLFOX/FOLFIRI plus target therapy. FOLFOXIRI plus target therapy when administered as first-line treatment of patients with mCRC is the best choice and did not increase toxicities. The patients with RAS/BRAF mutations could benefit from FOLFOXIRI plus Bev. FOLFOXIRI is as effective as FOLFOX/FOLFIRI plus target therapy.