BackgroundAbout 50% of patients with colorectal cancer are destined to develop hepatic metastases. Radical resection is the most effective treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases offering five year survival rates between 36-60%. Unfortunately only 20% of patients are resectable at time of presentation. Radiofrequency ablation is an alternative treatment option for irresectable colorectal liver metastases with reported 5 year survival rates of 18-30%. Most patients will develop local or distant recurrences after surgery, possibly due to the outgrowth of micrometastases present at the time of liver surgery. This study aims to achieve an improved disease free survival for patients after resection or resection combined with RFA of colorectal liver metastases by adding the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab to an adjuvant regimen of CAPOX.Methods/designThe Hepatica study is a two-arm, multicenter, randomized, comparative efficacy and safety study. Patients are assessed no more than 8 weeks before surgery with CEA measurement and CT scanning of the chest and abdomen. Patients will be randomized after resection or resection combined with RFA to receive CAPOX and Bevacizumab or CAPOX alone. Adjuvant treatment will be initiated between 4 and 8 weeks after metastasectomy or resection in combination with RFA. In both arms patients will be assessed for recurrence/new occurrence of colorectal cancer by chest CT, abdominal CT and CEA measurement. Patients will be assessed after surgery but before randomization, thereafter every three months after surgery in the first two years and every 6 months until 5 years after surgery. In case of a confirmed recurrence/appearance of new colorectal cancer, patients can be treated with surgery or any subsequent line of chemotherapy and will be followed for survival until the end of study follow up period as well. The primary endpoint is disease free survival. Secondary endpoints are overall survival, safety and quality of life.ConclusionThe HEPATICA study is designed to demonstrate a disease free survival benefit by adding bevacizumab to an adjuvant regime of CAPOX in patients with colorectal liver metastases undergoing a radical resection or resection in combination with RFA.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00394992

Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Recurrence after resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs), presumably caused by VEGF-mediated outgrowth of micrometastases, might decrease when VEGF is inhibited. This study examines the efficacy and safety of adding bevacizumab to an adjuvant regimen of CAPOX in patients undergoing radical resection for their CRLMs. Patients with resected CRLMs were randomized after surgery to receive CAPOX and bevacizumab (arm A) or CAPOX alone (arm B) as adjuvant treatment. CAPOX was given in both arms for a total of eight cycles. Bevacizumab was administered for 16 cycles. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS), toxicity, and quality of life (QoL). In total, 79 patients were randomized. At the time of analysis, 23 events were encountered in arm A and 20 in arm B. One-year DFS rate was 79% [95% confidence interval (CI): 68%-93%] and 68% (95% CI: 55%-85%) for arm A and B, respectively (P = .89). Toxicity was evaluated for 75 patients. No significant differences in toxicity between the two arms were found. QoL scores were higher in arm A, of which emotional functioning and global QoL scores were significant. Adding bevacizumab to a CAPOX regimen in patients undergoing a resection for their CLM is safe and showed higher QoL scores compared with CAPOX alone. Because of premature closure of the study, conclusions about the effect on DFS of additional VEGF inhibition in this setting could not yet be made.

Rectal mucosal blood flow does not affect the outcome of transanal advancement flap repair.