Safety and Efficacy of Regorafenib and 5-Fluorouracil Combination Therapy in Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer After Third-Line Treatment: An Institutional Experience
<b>Background</b>: Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common cancer types along with breast, prostate, and lung cancer. Many patients with CRC present with metastatic disease despite receiving standard first- and second-line therapies; thus emerges the demand for implementing new therapies that could improve outcomes among CRC patients. This case series was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of regorafenib plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with refractory metastatic CRC (mCRC). <b>Methods</b>: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from adult patients aged 18 and above who were diagnosed with refractory mCRC and received regorafenib plus 5-FU combination therapy at Houston Methodist Hospital between November 2017 and October 2023. Our study focuses on assessing key outcomes, including Overall Survival [OS], Progression-Free Survival [PFS], and safety. <b>Results</b>: Among the 12 patients we included in this study who underwent regorafenib plus 5-FU combination therapy for refractory mCRC after receiving at least three prior lines of treatment, the best response for six patients (50%) was successfully achieved, with disease control within 7-12 weeks from therapy initiation. Patients had an overall good tolerance for this treatment regimen and reported only the most common adverse events, including Hand-Foot Syndrome (HFS), mucositis, and hypertension (HTN), which were mostly resolved with dose adjustment of medications. <b>Conclusions</b>: This study highlights that using a combination of regorafenib plus 5-FU can be a potential treatment option for patients with refractory mCRC. Additional research, including prospective clinical trials, is required to assess the effectiveness and safety of regorafenib and 5-FU combination therapy in comparison to other currently limited treatment options.
Authors
- Abdullah Esmail (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2337-8351)
- Ebtesam Al-Najjar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1888-2839)
- Veronica Ajewole (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6619-2979)
- Godsfavour Umoru (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1206-2204)
- Karen Abboud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5891-7837)
- Bayan Khasawneh
- Maen Abdelrahim
- Waseem Abdelrahim
Institutions
- Houston Methodist (US)
- Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (US)
- Methodist Hospital (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Biomedicines
- Published
- 2025-05-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13051151
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.05
Funders
- William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Houston Methodist Research Institute