Prognostic factors associated with survival in patients with colorectal cancer treated with capecitabine: A cohort study

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is a major public health problem due to its high incidence and mortality rates worldwide. Various clinical and sociodemographic characteristics are intrinsically linked to this neoplasm and can have a significant influence on both survival estimates and the utilization of healthcare resources. Within this context, capecitabine has emerged as an oral antineoplastic agent used in the treatment of this type of cancer. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer who initiated treatment with capecitabine. Method: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at a cancer reference center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, based on data collected from medical records of patients treated between 2017 and 2019. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Results: For clinical progression-free survival (cPFS), the estimated event-free probability at 12 months was 72%, while for overall survival (OS) it was 83%. Staging and performance status were associated with a higher probability of death. For both cPFS and OS, stage IV disease was associated with an approximately 3-fold increase in risk, and poor performance status with an approximately 3-fold increase for cPFS and 4-fold for OS. Conclusion: The results obtained reinforce the importance of individualized assessments that consider clinical and functional parameters to define the most appropriate therapeutic strategy in patients selected for a capecitabine-containing regimen.