FOXFIRE: an open-label randomised phase III trial of 5-Fluorouracil, OXaliplatin and Folinic acid +/- Interventional Radio-Embolisation as first line treatment for patients with unresectable liver-only or liver-predominant metastatic colorectal cancer

ISRCTN ISRCTN83867919
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN83867919
Secondary identifying numbers OCTO_009
Submission date
20/06/2008
Registration date
29/08/2008
Last edited
26/10/2022
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-trial-chemotherapy-with-without-radioembolisation-for-bowel-cancer-that-has-spread-to-the-liver-foxfire

Study website

Contact information

Dr Ricky Sharma
Scientific

Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO)
Department of Clinical Pharmacology
Old Road Campus Research Building
University of Oxford
Old Road Campus (off Roosevelt Drive)
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7DQ
United Kingdom

Study information

Study designOpen-label multicentre randomised controlled phase III study
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleFOXFIRE: an open-label randomised phase III trial of 5-Fluorouracil, OXaliplatin and Folinic acid +/- Interventional Radio-Embolisation as first line treatment for patients with unresectable liver-only or liver-predominant metastatic colorectal cancer
Study acronymFOXFIRE
Study hypothesisCombination of chemotherapy and radioembolisation will improve the outcome for patients with colorectal cancer plus liver only/ dominant metastases compared with chemotherapy alone.
Ethics approval(s)The Berkshire Regional Ethics Committee (REC), 16/03/2009, ref: 09/H0505/1
ConditionColorectal cancer with liver only or liver dominant metastases
InterventionArm A: Systemic OxMdG chemotherapy: oxaliplatin, folinic acid (FA) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
Arm B: SIR-Spheres® radioembolisation (RE) plus systemic OxMdG chemotherapy: oxaliplatin, FA and 5-FU

Therapy schedule: 14 days per cycle, 12 cycles maximum. Radioembolisation occurs on Day 3 of the 2nd cycle.

The total duration of follow-up is 24 months. After this period, only mortality will be recorded.
Intervention typeDrug
Pharmaceutical study type(s)
PhasePhase III
Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s)5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, folinic acid
Primary outcome measureOverall survival (OS)
Secondary outcome measures1. Progression free survival (PFS)
2. Liver-specific PFS
3. Safety and toxicity
4. Healthcare costs/health economics
5. Quality of life, assessed with the euroqol EQ-5D questionnaire at baseline, start of cycle 4 and cycle 12, month 24 and 36, and at progression
6. Response rate
7. Resection rate
8. Percentage of patients receiving second line treatment
9. Interval from randomisation to start of second line treatment
Overall study start date01/11/2008
Overall study end date31/10/2016

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants490
Total final enrolment549
Participant inclusion criteria1. Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer with liver-only or liver-dominant (see also 'limited and/or resectable extra-hepatic disease' criterion below) metastases not amenable to curative (R0) liver surgical resection (see also exclusion criteria below), which must be agreed at local multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting with hepatic surgery & radiology representation.
2. Unequivocal and measurable CT evidence of liver metastases which are not treatable by surgical resection or local ablation with curative intent at the time of trial entry
3. Both males and females, age >18 years
4. WHO performance status of 0-1
5. Life expectancy >3 months
6. Eligible for systemic chemotherapy as first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer
7. Adequate haematological, renal and hepatic function (recorded within 29 days of randomisation) as follows:
7.1. Serum creatinine <=1.5 x ULN
7.2. Serum bilirubin <=1 x ULN
7.3. Absolute neutrophil count >1.5 x 10^9/L
7.4. Platelets >100 x 10^9/L
7.5. Albumin >=30 g/L
8. Limited and/or resectable extra-hepatic disease (EHD) defined as**:
8.1. Lung lesions (<=5 metastases of <=1 cm each which are immediately amenable to surgery or ablation, without requiring initial chemotherapy for downstaging)
8.2. Positron emission tomography (PET) or biopsy negative lesions (optional if performed)
8.3. Abdominal or perihepatic lymph nodes less than 2 cm in longest diameter
8.4. Presence of detectable extra-hepatic tumour that can be resected. This includes asymptomatic synchronous primary colorectal tumours (i.e. with unresectable liver metastases)
** These criteria will generally be considered mutually exclusive and patients with more than one criterion must be discussed with the TMG
9. Suitable for all aspects of treatment determined by clinical assessment undertaken by the Investigator
10. Female patients must either be post-menopausal or, if pre-menopausal and sexually active, using an acceptable method of contraception
11. Male patients, if sexually active with a pre-menopausal partner, must be using an appropriate method of contraception
12. Willing and able to provide written informed consent
Participant exclusion criteria1. Liver metastases amenable to curative resection at the time of study entry, unless the patient has limited EHD as defined above
2. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
3. Evidence of ascites, cirrhosis or portal hypertension (as determined by clinical or radiological assessment)
4. Tumour involvement of, or thrombosis leading to complete occlusion of, the main portal vein is an absolute contra-indication to trial entry. Previous liver resection(s) or previous portal vein embolisation are not exclusion criteria to entry into the clinical trial. Patients with complicated surgical histories involving embolisation and resection should be discussed with the TMG prior to study entry for clarification of safety and eligibility.
5. Previous radiotherapy to the upper abdomen or upper lumbar spine
6. Other active malignancy within the past 5 years, excluding colorectal cancer and non-melanoma skin cancers
7. Non-malignant disease that would render the patient ineligible for treatment at the discretion of the investigator
8. Equivocal, immeasurable, or unevaluable metastases in the liver
9. Patients with unequivocal evidence of bone metastasis are not permitted to enter the trial. Patients with a single equivocal lesion of uncertain significance should be discussed with the FOXFIRE Trial Office.
10. Dose limiting toxicity associated with previous 5-FU or oxaliplatin chemotherapy.
11. Previous chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer is not an exclusion criterion provided that the last dose of adjuvant chemotherapy was completed at least 6 months prior to entry into this study. Patients who have previously received oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy regimens should be discussed with the FOXFIRE Trial Office
12. Peripheral neuropathy on clinical examination >grade 1 (National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria [NCI-CTC v.3])
Recruitment start date13/11/2009
Recruitment end date31/10/2014

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO)
Oxford
OX3 7DQ
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Oxford (UK)
University/education

University of Oxford Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Joint Research Office
Block 60
Churchill Hospital
Old Road
Oxford
OX3 7LE
England
United Kingdom

Email heather.house@admin.ox.ac.uk
Website http://www.ox.ac.uk
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/052gg0110

Funders

Funder type

Charity

Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK

No information available

Sirtex (educational grant, providing SIR-Spheres® for the study free of charge)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date01/09/2017
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in a high-impact peer reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from the FOXFIRE trial team: Ricky Sharma (ricky.sharma@oncology.ox.ac.uk) and the trial management team (octo-foxfire@oncology.ox.ac.uk). All requests will be considered on an individual basis and in accordance with a data sharing agreement.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol article protocol 09/07/2014 Yes No
Results article results 01/09/2017 Yes No
Basic results 13/09/2017 14/05/2018 No No
Plain English results 26/10/2022 No Yes

Additional files

ISRCTN83867919_BasicResults_13Sep2017.pdf
Uploaded 14/05/2018

Editorial Notes

25/10/2022: Cancer Research UK plain English results link added.
16/09/2019: The following changes were made:
1. The trial website was updated.
2. The total final enrolment was added.
30/05/2018: IPD sharing statement added.
14/05/2018: Publication reference added. The basic results of this trial have been uploaded as an additional file. Please note that the secondary outcomes quality of life and health economics/cost effectiveness analysis are currently being analysed.
09/08/2017: Recruitment dates, publication and dissemination plan and IPD sharing statement added.
17/03/2015: The overall trial end date was changed from 01/12/2014 to 31/10/2016.