Chemotherapy With or Without Surgery in Treating Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed colorectal cancer
• * Metastases which are unresectable at presentation
• No known unresectable primary tumor on CT/MRI scan
• Primary tumor does not require immediate or emergency intervention including surgery, radiotherapy, laser, or stenting
• * Patients who are treated with colonic stents are eligible
• No unequivocal extensive peritoneal metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• WHO performance status 0-1
• Must be fit for systemic chemotherapy and surgery
• Hemoglobin \> 10.0 g/dL
• WBC \> 3.0 x 10\^9/L
• Platelet count \> 100 x 10\^9/L
• Bilirubin \< 25 μmol/L
• GFR \> 50 mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months (female) or up to 2 months (male) after completion of study therapy
• No history of malignant disease within the past 5 years except for nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No serious medical co-morbidity (e.g., uncontrolled inflammatory bowel disease, uncontrolled angina, recent \[within the past 6 months\] myocardial infarction, or another serious medical condition) judged to compromise ability to tolerate chemotherapy and/or surgery
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Concurrent participation in a trial of chemotherapy, if eligible, allowed
• Concurrent short-course radiotherapy for operable rectal cancer allowed