Patient-reported outcomes during and after treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer in the PROSPECT trial (Alliance N1048) Journal Article


Authors: Basch, E.; Dueck, A. C.; Mitchell, S. A.; Mamon, H.; Weiser, M.; Saltz, L.; Gollub, M.; Rogak, L.; Ginos, B.; Mazza, G. L.; Colgrove, B.; Chang, G.; Minasian, L.; Denicoff, A.; Thanarajasingam, G.; Musher, B.; George, T.; Venook, A.; Farma, J.; O'Reilly, E.; Meyerhardt, J. A.; Shi, Q.; Schrag, D.
Article Title: Patient-reported outcomes during and after treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer in the PROSPECT trial (Alliance N1048)
Abstract: PURPOSEThe standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer in North America is neoadjuvant pelvic chemoradiation with fluorouracil (5FUCRT). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) is an alternative that may spare patients the morbidity of radiation. Understanding the relative patient experiences with these options is necessary to inform treatment decisions.METHODSPROSPECT was a multicenter, unblinded, noninferiority, randomized trial of neoadjuvant FOLFOX versus 5FUCRT, which enrolled adults with rectal cancer clinically staged as T2N+, cT3N-, or cT3N+ who were candidates for sphincter-sparing surgery. Neoadjuvant FOLFOX was given in six cycles over 12 weeks, followed by surgery. Neoadjuvant 5FUCRT was delivered in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks, followed by surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy was suggested but not mandated in both groups. Enrolled patients were asked to provide patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at baseline, during neoadjuvant treatment, and at 12 months after surgery. PROs included 14 symptoms from the National Cancer Institute's Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE). Additional PRO instruments measured bowel, bladder, sexual function, and health-related quality of life (HRQL).RESULTSFrom June 2012 to December 2018, 1,194 patients were randomly assigned, 1,128 initiated treatment, and 940 contributed PRO-CTCAE data (493 FOLFOX; 447 5FUCRT). During neoadjuvant treatment, patients reported significantly lower rates of diarrhea and better overall bowel function with FOLFOX while anxiety, appetite loss, constipation, depression, dysphagia, dyspnea, edema, fatigue, mucositis, nausea, neuropathy, and vomiting were lower with 5FUCRT (all multiplicity adjusted P < .05). At 12 months after surgery, patients randomly assigned to FOLFOX reported significantly lower rates of fatigue and neuropathy and better sexual function versus 5FUCRT (all multiplicity adjusted P < .05). Neither bladder function nor HRQL differed between groups at any time point.CONCLUSIONFor patients with locally advanced rectal cancer choosing between neoadjuvant FOLFOX and 5FUCRT, the distinctive PRO profiles inform treatment selection and shared decision making.
Keywords: chemoradiotherapy; instrument; common terminology criteria; version; index; burden; symptomatic adverse events
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Volume: 41
Issue: 21
ISSN: 0732-183X
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology  
Date Published: 2023-07-20
Start Page: 3724
End Page: 3734
Language: English
ACCESSION: WOS:001033781900009
DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.00903
PROVIDER: wos
PMCID: PMC10351948
PUBMED: 37270691
Notes: Article -- MSK Cancer Center support Grant (P30 CA008748) acknowledged in PubMed -- Source: Wos
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MSK Authors
  1. Leonard B Saltz
    790 Saltz
  2. Marc J Gollub
    208 Gollub
  3. Deborah Schrag
    229 Schrag
  4. Martin R Weiser
    534 Weiser
  5. Eileen O'Reilly
    780 O'Reilly
  6. Lauren Jayne Rogak
    76 Rogak