ZD 1839 Plus Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced, Locally Recurrent, or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of ZD 1839 combined with irinotecan, leucovorin, and fluorouracil in treating patients who have locally advanced, locally recurrent, or metastatic colorectal cancer. Biological therapies such as ZD 1839 may interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slow the growth of the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining ZD 1839 with combination chemotherapy may kill more tumor cells.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the maximum tolerated dose of ZD 1839 in combination with irinotecan, leucovorin calcium, and fluorouracil in patients with locally advanced, locally recurrent, or metastatic colorectal cancer. II. Determine the dose-limiting toxicity of this regimen in these patients. III. Determine the pharmacokinetics of this regimen in these patients. IV. Determine the objective response rate in patients treated with this regimen. V. Correlate epidermal growth factor receptor expression with the probability of objective tumor response in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, dose-escalation study of ZD 1839. Patients receive oral ZD 1839 daily. Beginning on day 15, patients receive irinotecan IV over 90 minutes, leucovorin calcium IV over 15 minutes, and fluorouracil IV weekly on weeks 1-2. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of ZD 1839 until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 or 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Once the MTD is determined, 10 additional patients are accrued to receive treatment at the MTD. Patients are followed for 30 days.