Real-World Experience With Panitumumab or Bevacizumab as a First-Line Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: An Indian Perspective

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of panitumumab and bevacizumab in conjunction with first-line chemotherapy in Indian patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Materials and methods A retrospective chart review was performed involving consecutive patients treated between September 2015 and December 2023. Study endpoints included comparisons of the objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse drug reactions associated with bevacizumab- and panitumumab-based regimens, along with assessments of the clinical profiles and tumor characteristics of patients with mCRC. Results This study analyzed data from 69 patients, including 30 in the panitumumab group and 39 in the bevacizumab group. The cohort consisted of 42 males (60.9%) and 27 females (39.1%), with a mean age of 54.0 ± 14.05 years. KRAS mutations were identified in 10.2% of patients. No significant differences were observed between the panitumumab and bevacizumab groups in ORR (70% vs. 69.23%, p=0.94), CBR (83.33% vs. 87.18%, p=0.65), or PFS (8.43 vs. 8.17 months, p=0.15). Median OS was 26.13 months in the bevacizumab group, while it was not reached in the panitumumab group at a median follow-up of 15.02 months. Adverse events were more frequent in the bevacizumab group. Additionally, no significant differences in clinical outcomes were found between bevacizumab- and panitumumab-based regimens for tumors originating on either the left or right side. Conclusions The results of the study show that bevacizumab and panitumumab-based regimens provide comparable outcomes in Indian patients with mCRC.