Disease Control With FOLFIRI Plus Ziv-aflibercept (zFOLFIRI) Beyond FOLFIRI Plus Bevacizumab: Case Series in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)

Background: The prognosis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is poor, especially after failure of initial systemic therapy. The VELOUR study showed modestly prolonged overall survival (OS) with ziv-aflibercept plus 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (zFOLFIRI) vs. placebo+FOLFIRI after progression on 5-fluoruracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) ± bevacizumab. The utility of zFOLFIRI after bevacizumab+FOLFIRI is unknown and not recommended in NCCN guidelines. We explored whether zFOLFIRI may be active beyond progression on bevacizumab+FOLFIRI.Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of patients treated in routine clinical practice. A chart review was conducted for a cohort (N = 19) of advanced cancer patients (18 mCRC) who received zFOLFIRI from 2014 to 2018 at Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC). Analysis included time on zFOLFIRI, PFS, OS, CEA trends and adverse events. A second mCRC cohort (N = 26) from the Flatiron Health EHR-derived database treated with zFOLFIRI after prior bevacizumab+FOLFOX and bevacizumab+FOLFIRI was analyzed for time-on-treatment and overall survival.Results: Median age of mCRC cohort at zFOLFIRI treatment was 54 (FCCC; N = 18) and 62 (Flatiron Health-cohort; N = 26). Of 18 FCCC mCRC patients, 1 patient had prior bevacizumab+FOLFOX and ramucirumab+irinotecan prior to zFOLFIRI for 8.5 months. Of 17 FCCC mCRC patients with prior bevacizumab+FOLFIRI who received zFOLFIRI, 13 had mutant-KRAS, 3 WT-KRAS, and one BRAF-V600E. The patient with BRAF-V600E mutation achieved stable disease on zFOLFIRI after multiple BRAF-targeted therapies. One patient (WT-KRAS mCRC) remained on zFOLFIRI for 14 months. Of 14 patients with mutated-KRAS, 8 remained on zFOLFIRI for >5 months including 3 for >15 months. The rate-of-change in CEA measures on zFOLFIRI was significantly different (p = 0.004) between rapid progressors and those with PFS>4 months. For mCRC patients treated with zFOLFIRI in the 3rd line or greater (N = 18), median PFS was 7.1 months (214 days) and median OS was 13.8 months (416 days). Median time-on-treatment with zFOLFIRI in the Flatiron Health cohort was 4.4 months, median OS was 7.8 months, and longest time-on-treatment with zFOLFIRI was 266 days.Conclusions: In these small real-world cohorts, clinical meaningful stable disease and overall survival on zFOLFIRI beyond progression on bevacizumab+FOLFIRI was observed in patients with mCRC. Further exploration of this approach is warranted.