Cetuximab in Neoadjuvant Treatment of Non-Resectable Colorectal Liver Metastases (CELIM)

Patients with liver metastasis will be screened for this study. Eligible patients will complete the pretreatment evaluation including an abdominal CT scan that will be presented to the local surgeon and the radiologist for proving of resectability of hepatic lesions. Additionally, CT scans will be reviewed by three reference surgeons. In case of non-resectability, as defined above, CT- or ultrasound- guided biopsy of one of the liver metastases will be performed, unless biopsy material is available from prior biopsy of one of the liver metastases.

Instead of an ultrasound-guided biopsy, a CT-guided biopsy may be performed.

Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded metastatic tissue will be sent to reference laboratory (Prof. Störkel, Wuppertal) for immunohistochemical analysis of EGFR- expression.

Additionally tissue will be stored in "RNA later" for gene expression analysis if agreed by the patient.

Additionally, the primary tumor will be collected and sent to the reference laboratory for analysis of EGFR- expression (if agreement of the patient exists).

Patients will be randomized to a combination of:

Cetuximab/FOLFIRI (irinotecan/5-FU/FA) or Cetuximab/FOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin/5-FU/FA)

All patients receive a four month treatment (eight cycles) of the allocated treatment.

Resection is planned after completion of neoadjuvant treatment and should be performed between 4 and 6 weeks after the last dose of chemotherapy. Probes of the resected material (in liquid nitrogen and paraffin embedded material will be collected).

If a resection is not possible after eight administrations of chemotherapy, chemotherapy will be continued until tumor progression (maximal duration of treatment 2 years) and the patient will be evaluated for a potential resection every two months.

After resection, postoperative treatment is planned for 3 months (6 cycles). Treatment start is planned between 4 and 8 weeks after the operation.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with non-resectable, histologically confirmed, synchronous or metachronous colorectal liver metastases. Patients with non-resectable metastases are defined as; patients with five or more liver metastases; and/or patients with liver metastases that are technically non-resectable (local surgeon in cooperation with local radiologist will define non-resectability on the basis of remaining functional liver tissue, infiltration of all liver veins, infiltration of both liver arteries, both portal branches or both bile ducts).
• Patients with simultaneous liver metastases are eligible, if the primary tumor has been resected at least 1 month prior to chemotherapy.
• Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 80
• Informed consent
• Adequate bone marrow function, liver and renal function (neutrophils > 1.5 x 10^9/l; thrombocytes > 100 x 10^9/l; hemoglobin > 8.0 g/l; bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal [ULN] and not increasing more than 25% within the last 4 weeks; ALAT and ASAT < 5 x UNL; serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 x UNL)
• Age ≥ 18 years

Exclusion criteria

• Any evidence of extrahepatic metastases, lymph node metastases and primary tumor recurrence
• Prior chemotherapy (except adjuvant chemotherapy with an interval of ≥ 6 months)
• Previous exposure to EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor)-targeting therapy
• Radiotherapy or major abdominal or thoracic surgery (excluding diagnostic biopsy or port implantation) ≤ 4 weeks before study entry
• Concurrent systemic immune therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy
• Investigational agents or participation in clinical trials within 30 days before start of the treatment in study
• Clinically relevant coronary disease or myocardial infarction within 12 months before study entry
• Peripheral neuropathy > CTC grade I
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Previous malignancy (except colorectal cancer, history of basal cell carcinoma of skin or pre-invasive carcinoma of the cervix with adequate treatment)
• History of severe psychiatric illness
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Breast feeding or pregnant women, no effective contraception if risk of conception exists (male and female patients)