Meta-analysis comparing the safety and efficacy of metastatic colorectal cancer treatment regimens, capecitabine plus irinotecan (CAPIRI) and 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin plus irinotecan (FOLFIRI)

The relative efficacy and safety of first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment regimens, capecitabine with irinotecan (CAPIRI) and 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin plus irinotecan (FOLFIRI), are not well defined. We identified and subsequently examined seven independent, randomized controlled clinical trials, performing a meta-analysis to compare these two treatment regimens. Using Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting to search available literature until February 2014, we identified seven studies comparing safety and efficacy of CAPIRI and FOLFIRI in mCRC patients. These studies were pooled and evaluated for rates of progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and diarrhea. CAPIRI and FOLFIRI demonstrated similar efficacy outcomes, though CAPIRI was associated with a higher incidence of diarrhea. CAPIRI and FOLFIRI are equally effective options for first-line treatment of mCRC.