Safety, efficacy and patient-reported outcomes with trifluridine/tipiracil in pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer: results of the PRECONNECT study

Background In RECOURSE (, trifluridine/tipiracil significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo in patients with pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). PRECONNECT was designed to further characterise safety and clinical use of trifluridine/tipiracil.Methods In this ongoing, international, multicentre, open-label trial, patients with pretreated mCRC received oral trifluridine/tipiracil 35 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1–5 and 8–12 of each 28-day cycle. The primary endpoint was safety; secondary endpoints included PFS and quality of life (QoL).Results 793 patients (median age 62 years) from 13 countries received trifluridine/tipiracil for a median of 2.84 months (IQR 2.64). Adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 96.7%; the most common (≥20% of patients) were neutropaenia, asthenia/fatigue, nausea, anaemia and diarrhoea. Grade ≥3 AEs occurred in 73.9% of patients, with the most common being neutropaenia (39.1% of patients), anaemia (9.8%) and asthenia/fatigue (5.0%). Median PFS was 2.8 months (95% CI 2.7 to 2.9). Median time to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status deterioration (≥2) was 8.9 months (range 0.03–14.72). There was no clinically relevant change from baseline in QoL.Conclusions PRECONNECT showed consistent results with the previously demonstrated safety and efficacy profile of trifluridine/tipiracil, with no new safety concerns identified. QoL was maintained during treatment.Trial registration number NCT03306394.