5-FU, Folinic Acid and Irinotecan (FOLFIRI) Plus Cetuximab Versus FOLFIRI Plus Bevacizumab in First Line Treatment Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

Summary

The FIRE-3 trial is a multicenter randomized phase III trial investigating 5-FU, folinic acid and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) plus cetuximab versus FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab in first line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Planned accrual is 284 evaluable patients per treatment arm. The primary study endpoint is objective response rate. Secondary endpoints are median progression free survival, median overall survival, safety, and secondary resection rate.

Timeline

Start

2007-01

Primary completion

2014-04

Completion

2016-12

Publications

• Stahler A, Modest DP, Stintzing S, Borelli B, Keller T, Held S, Fischer von Weikersthal L, Muller L, Graeven U, Decker T, Heintges T, Kahl C, Hoppe B, Kiani A, Kaiser F, Schwaner I, Fruehauf S, Karthaus M, Trarbach T, Klauschen F, Horst D, Cremolini C, Heinemann V. Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of Consensus Molecular Subtypes as Biomarkers of First-Line Treatment in RAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2026 Jan;44(1):31-41. doi: 10.1200/JCO-25-00596. Epub 2025 Nov 18.
• Fischer LE, Stintzing S, von Weikersthal LF, Modest DP, Decker T, Kiani A, Kaiser F, Al-Batran SE, Heintges T, Lerchenmuller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Stauch M, Scheithauer W, Giessen-Jung C, Uhlig J, Peuser B, Denzlinger C, Stahler A, Weiss L, Heinrich K, Held S, Jung A, Kirchner T, Heinemann V. Efficacy of FOLFIRI plus cetuximab vs FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab in 1st-line treatment of older patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: an analysis of the randomised trial FIRE-3. Br J Cancer. 2022 Sep;127(5):836-843. doi: 10.1038/s41416-022-01854-y. Epub 2022 May 30.
• Heinemann V, von Weikersthal LF, Decker T, Kiani A, Kaiser F, Al-Batran SE, Heintges T, Lerchenmuller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Moehler M, Scheithauer W, Held S, Miller-Phillips L, Modest DP, Jung A, Kirchner T, Stintzing S. FOLFIRI plus cetuximab or bevacizumab for advanced colorectal cancer: final survival and per-protocol analysis of FIRE-3, a randomised clinical trial. Br J Cancer. 2021 Feb;124(3):587-594. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-01140-9. Epub 2020 Nov 6.
• Froelich MF, Petersen EL, Heinemann V, Norenberg D, Hesse N, Gesenhues AB, Modest DP, Sommer WH, Hofmann FO, Stintzing S, Holch JW. Impact of Size and Location of Metastases on Early Tumor Shrinkage and Depth of Response in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Subgroup Findings of the Randomized, Open-Label Phase 3 Trial FIRE-3/AIO KRK-0306. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2020 Dec;19(4):291-300.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.clcc.2020.06.005. Epub 2020 Jun 22.
• Stintzing S, Wirapati P, Lenz HJ, Neureiter D, Fischer von Weikersthal L, Decker T, Kiani A, Kaiser F, Al-Batran S, Heintges T, Lerchenmuller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Moehler M, Scheithauer W, Held S, Modest DP, Jung A, Kirchner T, Aderka D, Tejpar S, Heinemann V. Consensus molecular subgroups (CMS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) and first-line efficacy of FOLFIRI plus cetuximab or bevacizumab in the FIRE3 (AIO KRK-0306) trial. Ann Oncol. 2019 Nov 1;30(11):1796-1803. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdz387.
• Tokunaga R, Cao S, Naseem M, Lo JH, Battaglin F, Puccini A, Berger MD, Soni S, Millstein J, Zhang W, Stintzing S, Loupakis F, Cremolini C, Heinemann V, Falcone A, Lenz HJ. Prognostic Effect of Adenosine-related Genetic Variants in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Bevacizumab-based Chemotherapy. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2019 Mar;18(1):e8-e19. doi: 10.1016/j.clcc.2018.09.003. Epub 2018 Sep 13.
• Modest DP, Denecke T, Pratschke J, Ricard I, Lang H, Bemelmans M, Becker T, Rentsch M, Seehofer D, Bruns CJ, Gebauer B, Modest HI, Held S, Folprecht G, Heinemann V, Neumann UP. Surgical treatment options following chemotherapy plus cetuximab or bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer-central evaluation of FIRE-3. Eur J Cancer. 2018 Jan;88:77-86. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.028. Epub 2017 Nov 28.
• Tejpar S, Stintzing S, Ciardiello F, Tabernero J, Van Cutsem E, Beier F, Esser R, Lenz HJ, Heinemann V. Prognostic and Predictive Relevance of Primary Tumor Location in Patients With RAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Retrospective Analyses of the CRYSTAL and FIRE-3 Trials. JAMA Oncol. 2017 Feb 1;3(2):194-201. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.3797.
• Stintzing S, Modest DP, Rossius L, Lerch MM, von Weikersthal LF, Decker T, Kiani A, Vehling-Kaiser U, Al-Batran SE, Heintges T, Lerchenmuller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Stauch M, Scheithauer W, Held S, Giessen-Jung C, Moehler M, Jagenburg A, Kirchner T, Jung A, Heinemann V; FIRE-3 investigators. FOLFIRI plus cetuximab versus FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer (FIRE-3): a post-hoc analysis of tumour dynamics in the final RAS wild-type subgroup of this randomised open-label phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2016 Oct;17(10):1426-1434. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30269-8. Epub 2016 Aug 27.
• Michl M, Stintzing S, Fischer von Weikersthal L, Decker T, Kiani A, Vehling-Kaiser U, Al-Batran SE, Heintges T, Lerchenmueller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Stauch M, Scheithauer W, Hielscher J, Scholz M, Mueller S, Lerch MM, Modest DP, Kirchner T, Jung A, Heinemann V; FIRE-3 Study Group. CEA response is associated with tumor response and survival in patients with KRAS exon 2 wild-type and extended RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer receiving first-line FOLFIRI plus cetuximab or bevacizumab (FIRE-3 trial). Ann Oncol. 2016 Aug;27(8):1565-72. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdw222. Epub 2016 May 27.
• Modest DP, Stintzing S, von Weikersthal LF, Decker T, Kiani A, Vehling-Kaiser U, Al-Batran SE, Heintges T, Lerchenmuller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Stauch M, Scheithauer W, Held S, Mohler M, Jung A, Kirchner T, Heinemann V. Impact of Subsequent Therapies on Outcome of the FIRE-3/AIO KRK0306 Trial: First-Line Therapy With FOLFIRI Plus Cetuximab or Bevacizumab in Patients With KRAS Wild-Type Tumors in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2015 Nov 10;33(32):3718-26. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.61.2887. Epub 2015 Aug 10.
• Heinemann V, von Weikersthal LF, Decker T, Kiani A, Vehling-Kaiser U, Al-Batran SE, Heintges T, Lerchenmuller C, Kahl C, Seipelt G, Kullmann F, Stauch M, Scheithauer W, Hielscher J, Scholz M, Muller S, Link H, Niederle N, Rost A, Hoffkes HG, Moehler M, Lindig RU, Modest DP, Rossius L, Kirchner T, Jung A, Stintzing S. FOLFIRI plus cetuximab versus FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (FIRE-3): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2014 Sep;15(10):1065-75. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70330-4. Epub 2014 Jul 31.

Drugs

Indications