A trial looking at chemotherapy with or without cetuximab for people over the age of 70 with bowel cancer that has spread (EORTC 40085)
Cancer type:
Status:
Phase:
This trial is looked at a drug called cetuximab alongside fluorouracil (5FU) chemotherapy. The trial was for people aged at least 70 who had bowel cancer that had spread elsewhere in the body.
More about this trial
Doctors often treat people under the age of 65 who have bowel cancer that has spread with fluorouracil (5FU), leucovorin (folinic acid) and cetuximab. But older people often have 5FU and leucovorin alone.
Cetuximab is a type of targeted cancer drug called a monoclonal antibody. Some bowel cancers have a change to a gene called a K-RAS mutation. We know from research that cetuximab doesn't help people who have this 
. So the trial was only for people who had a normal K-RAS gene.
The researchers wanted to see if adding cetuximab to 5FU and leucovorin would work better for older people with bowel cancer. This was instead of having 5FU and leucovorin alone.
Summary of results
This trial was never finished so there are no results available. This is because it was difficult to find enough people to take part.
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Chief Investigator
Professor Richard Adams
Supported by
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Merck KGaA
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
