The Role of Surgery of the Primary Tumour in Patients With Synchronous Unresectable Metastases of Colorectal Cancer

Summary

The clinical benefit of resection of the primary tumour in patients with synchronous unresectable metastases is not known. In the literature studies usually describe retrospective selected patients with synchronous metastases treated with or without resection of the primary tumour. All these studies are biased in patient selection and there are no prospective randomized studies on this topic. In patients with few or absent symptoms of the primary tumour, arguments both in favour and against initial resection have been presented, and therefore a randomized trial is warranted. Although recent publications suggest that resection of the primary tumour in synchronous metastasized colon cancer patients might not be necessary, this appears to be based on feasibility and not on clinical outcome. Several studies comparing large groups of patients with or without resection of the primary tumour suggest an improved survival when the primary tumour is resected. A potential benefit of resection of the primary tumour is to prevent complications of the primary tumour during chemotherapy treatment or during later stages of the disease. A recent analysis of the CAIRO and CAIRO2 data showed that metastatic colon cancer patients who had a resection of the primary tumour prior to study entry, had an improved survival compared to patients without a resection of the primary tumour. However, these patients were selected after the primary tumour was resected and therefore these results are not corrected for surgical morbidity and mortality. The investigators here propose a randomized trial in order to demonstrate that resection of the primary tumour does improve overall survival.

Timeline

Start

2012-07

Primary completion

2022-06

Completion

2022-12

Publications

• van der Kruijssen DEW, Elias SG, van de Ven PM, van Rooijen KL, Lam-Boer J', Mol L, Punt CJA, Sommeijer DW, Tanis PJ, Nielsen JD, Yilmaz MK, van Riel JMGH, Wasowiz-Kemps DK, Loosveld OJL, van der Schelling GP, de Groot JWB, van Westreenen HL, Jakobsen HL, Fromm AL, Hamberg P, Verseveld M, Jaensch C, Liposits GI, van Duijvendijk P, Oulad Hadj J, van der Hoeven JAB, Trajkovic M, de Wilt JHW, Koopman M; CAIRO4 Working Group. Upfront resection versus no resection of the primary tumor in patients with synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer: the randomized phase III CAIRO4 study conducted by the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group and the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group. Ann Oncol. 2024 Sep;35(9):769-779. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2024.06.001. Epub 2024 Jun 7.
• van der Kruijssen DEW, Elias SG, Vink GR, van Rooijen KL, 't Lam-Boer J, Mol L, Punt CJA, de Wilt JHW, Koopman M; CAIRO4 Working Group. Sixty-Day Mortality of Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Randomized to Systemic Treatment vs Primary Tumor Resection Followed by Systemic Treatment: The CAIRO4 Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surg. 2021 Dec 1;156(12):1093-1101. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2021.4992.
• 't Lam-Boer J, Mol L, Verhoef C, de Haan AF, Yilmaz M, Punt CJ, de Wilt JH, Koopman M. The CAIRO4 study: the role of surgery of the primary tumour with few or absent symptoms in patients with synchronous unresectable metastases of colorectal cancer--a randomized phase III study of the Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG). BMC Cancer. 2014 Oct 2;14:741. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-741.

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