Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer That Was Completely Removed By Surgery

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed stage III adenocarcinoma of the colon
• Must have undergone curative resection (R0) within the past 28-56 days
• * No radiotherapy prior to surgery
• carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) after surgery
• No rectal cancer located within 15 cm from the anal verge by endoscopy or under the peritoneal reflection at surgery
• No metastatic spread at baseline assessment
• No prior or concurrent CNS disease by physical exam
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Performance status
• WHO 0-1
• Life expectancy
• At least 5 years
• Hematopoietic
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Cardiovascular
• No coronary artery disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• No high risk of uncontrolled arrhythmia
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days
• No known hypersensitivity to any of the components of the study drugs
• No medical, geographical, sociological, psychological, or legal condition that would preclude study participation
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 1
• No other significant disease that would preclude study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Chemotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior abdominal or pelvic irradiation
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• More than 28 days since prior major surgical procedure or open biopsy
• No concurrent major surgical procedure