Analysis of the maintenance treatment and prognostic factors of metastatic colorectal cancer patients with stable disease symptoms after induction chemotherapy

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the survival and individualized therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who achieved a stable disease state after induction chemotherapy. Methods: Data were reviewed from 204 metastatic colorectal cancer pa- tients, who presented a stable disease state after first-line and second-line chemotherapy at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Insti- tute and Hospital. The clinical and pathological characteristics were analyzed. Moreover, we analyzed the significance of maintenance treatment in patients with certain mCRC characteristics. Results: Univariate analysis indicated that the line of chemotherapy, levels of CA724, CEA, and CA19-9, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were considered prognostic factors of treatment after induction che- motherapy. According to the multivariate analysis, first-line chemotherapy, as well as low levels of CA19-9 and PLR, with maintenance treatment after the induction chemotherapy was significantly associated with better survival. Among the patients with high levels of PLR, those who underwent maintenance treatment achieved a progression-free survival of 13.43 months (versus 10.63 months in pa- tients from the observation group, P=0.003). Conclusion: The levels of CA19-9 and PLR, and treatment after chemotherapy were signif- icant prognostic factors for mCRC patients who achieved a stable disease state after induction chemotherapy. These patients, especial-