Trifluridine/Tipiracil Plus Bevacizumab Associated with Longer Lasting Quality of Life Among Patients with Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes From the SUNLIGHT Trial

According to data from the SUNLIGHT trial, patients who were in the trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab arm maintained health-related quality of life and had a longer time to deterioration compared to trifluridine/tiripacil alone.

These data were presented by Gerald Prager, MD, Comprehensive Cancer Center Vienna, Austria, at the 2023 World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancers in Barcelona, Spain.

The international, open-label, phase 3 SUNLIGHT trial randomized 492 patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer to receive either trifluridine/tipiracil plus bevacizumab (combination arm) or trifluridine/tipiracil alone (monotherapy arm). It has been previously reported that the combination improved overall survival and progression-free survival. This analysis addressed the health-related quality of life outcomes.

Health-related quality of life was evaluated at the baseline, at each cycles, and at the withdrawal visit, using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the EQ-5D-5L questionnaires. Outcomes were defined as a mean change from baseline in QLQ-C30 domains, with at least 10 points considered the minimal importance difference, and the time to deterioration.

Of the 429 patients randomized, 239 in the combination arm and 241 in the monotherapy arm had quality of life data at the baseline available. Mean baseline scores were similar for both questionnaires throughout treatment with no clinically relevant changes over time. Patients in the combination arm were less likely to have a definitive worsening of global health status by more than 10 points in all scales and subscales than patients in the monotherapy arm. There was no increase of symptom burden, as assessed by the GLG-C30 symptom domains, in either arm. When considering disease progression and death as definitive deterioration measures, health-related quality of life deteriorated significantly later among patients in the combination arm compared with the monotherapy arm.

Dr Prager et al concluded quality of life “was maintained in both arms with a trend toward a prolonged time to definitive deterioration of [health-related quality of life] scales and subscales in [the combination arm] compared to…monotherapy.”

Source:

Prager G, Taieb J, Fakih M, et al. Health-related quality of life associated with trifluridine/tipiracil in combination with bevacizumab in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer: An analysis of the phase 3 SUNLIGHT trial. Presented at the 2023 World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancers; June 28-July 1, 2023; Barcelona, Spain. Abstract O-9