Fluorouracil Plus Leucovorin With or Without Oxaliplatin in Treating Patients With Stage II or Stage III Colon Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare the relative efficacy of 5-FU + LV + Oxaliplatin (FLOX) with that of 5-FU + LV (FL) in prolonging DFS. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To compare the relative efficacy of FLOX with FL in prolonging S. OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive leucovorin calcium IV over 2 hours and fluorouracil IV (administered after 1 hour of leucovorin calcium) weekly for 6 weeks. ARM II: Patients receive oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on days 1, 15, and 29 and leucovorin calcium and fluorouracil as in arm I. Treatment in both arms repeats every 8 weeks for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed at 6, 9, and 12 months; every 6 months for 4 years; and then annually thereafter.