Considering FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer with left-sided tumors

A recent subgroup analysis of the TRIBE trial suggested that FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab may be a preferred option for the first-line treatment of only right-sided metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), regardless of RAS or BRAF status. Our subanalysis of a phase II trial of the FOLFOXIRI triplet regimen plus bevacizumab in patients with mCRC who had RAS mutant tumors showed that tumor shrinkage was better and the duration of treatment was longer in patients with left-sided tumors than in those with right-sided tumors, leading to a higher rate of conversion to surgery in mCRC patients with left-sided tumors. The early and deep responses to the triplet-regimen in patients with left-sided tumors might facilitate conversion treatment resulting in favorable survival. Our data suggest that the FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab might be a promising treatment for left-sided mCRC involving RAS mutant tumors.