Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Cetuximab as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Compare the overall survival of patients with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma treated with continuous combination chemotherapy comprising oxaliplatin, leucovorin calcium, and fluorouracil (OxMdG) or oxaliplatin and capecitabine (XELOX) with vs without cetuximab vs intermittent combination chemotherapy with OxMdG or XELOX as first-line therapy. Secondary * Compare time of disease control and progression- and failure-free survival of patients treated with these regimens. * Compare response in patients treated with these regimens. * Compare the toxicity of these regimens in these patients. * Compare the cost effectiveness of these regimens in these patients. * Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, open label, randomized, controlled study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. * Arm I (continuous chemotherapy): Patients receive 1 of the following combination chemotherapy regimens of their choice (or as per participating center): * OxMdG: Patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours and leucovorin calcium IV over 2 hours on day 1 and fluorouracil IV over 46 hours on days 1 and 2. Courses repeat every 14 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * XELOX: Patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1 and oral capecitabine twice daily on days 1-14. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Arm II (continuous chemotherapy and cetuximab): Patients receive OxMdG or XELOX as in arm I. Patients also receive cetuximab IV over 1-2 hours on days 1 and 8 (for patients receiving OxMdG) OR days 1, 8, and 15 (for patients receiving XELOX). Treatment with OxMdG and cetuximab repeats every 14 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Treatment with XELOX and cetuximab repeats every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Arm III (intermittent chemotherapy): Patients receive OxMdG or XELOX as in arm I. Treatment with OxMdG repeats every 14 days for up to 6 courses (12 weeks). Treatment with XELOX repeats every 21 days for up to 4 courses (12 weeks). Patients with disease progression after 12 weeks of therapy are removed from study treatment. Patients with stable or responding disease after 12 weeks of therapy stop treatment and undergo clinical evaluation at least every 6 weeks (treatment break) until disease progression or clinical deterioration. Upon evidence of disease progression or clinical deterioration, patients restart treatment with OxMdG or XELOX as before and continue to alternate 12 weeks of treatment with treatment breaks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity Quality of life is assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and then every 12 weeks thereafter. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 12 weeks for survival. Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 2,421 patients (807 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 3.5 years.