Phase I/II trial of capecitabine and oxaliplatin in combination with bevacizumab and imatinib in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: AIO KRK 0205

Background: Combined inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta signalling and vascular endothelial growth factor promotes vascular normalisation in preclinical models and may lead to increased delivery of chemotherapy to tumour tissue. This phase I/II trial assessed the safety and efficacy of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) plus bevacizumab and imatinib in the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods: Two dose levels (I/II) were defined: capecitabine 850/1000 mg m−2 twice daily on days 1–14; oxaliplatin 100/130 mg m−2 on day 1; bevacizumab 7.5 mg kg−1 on day 1; imatinib 300 mg day−1 on days 1–21 every 21 days. The primary study endpo…