Impact of high-dose dexamethasone and prolonged infusion time to prevent hypersensitivity reaction related to oxaliplatin in patients with colorectal cancer.

Abstract

49 Background: Oxaliplatin (OXA) is one of the major cytotoxic agents for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. Hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) is one of major reasons of not continuing OXA-based chemotherapy, similar to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). We developed prevention of the HSR protocol and evaluated its clinical application. Methods: We have retrospectively evaluated and characterized HSR reaction in metastatic colorectal cancer patients exposed to an OXA-containing regimen between 2005 and 2019. We also evaluated the clinical utility of a prevention of the HSR protocol for mCRC patients occurred in grade 1, grade 2 or grade 3 HSR after administration of OXA-based chemotherapy. The prevention of HSR protocol is based on increasing the dose of dexamethasone to 16.5 mg/body, chlorpheniramine to 5 mg, famotidine to 20mg, and the administration time of OXA is extended to 4 hours. Results: A total of 209 patients (median age 61 years, range: 27 to 80) were experienced grade 1 (106 patients, 50.7%), grade 2 (98 patients, 46.0%), or grade 3 HSR (5 patients, 3.3%). Most of the patients had been treated with the FOLFOX4 or modified FOLFOX6 regimen (86.6%). The median number of cycles of OXA administration until the initial onset of HSR was 11 (range: 2 to 48). 111 patients (53.1%) succeeded in OXA re-administration under the prevention of HSR protocol. The median OXA free interval was 23 days (range: 13 to 890). The median progression-free survival after OXA re-administration was 7.0 months (95%CI: 5.3 to 10.4). The reason for the prevention of HSR protocoldiscontinuation was HSR in 98 patients (46.9%), disease progression in 77 patients (36.9%) and CIPN in 17 patients (8.1%), respectively. Forty-eight patients (49.0%) had HSR during the first cycle of OXA re-administration and the median time to HSR after OXA re-administration was 14 days (95%CI 0-19). Grade 3 HSR after OXA re-administrationwere observed in only 6 patients (6.1%) and no one experienced Grade 4 or 5 HSR. Conclusions: Hi-dose dexamethasone and an increased infusion time may allow for OXA re-administration. The prevention of the HSR protocol may provide an alternative to permanent discontinuation of OXA.