Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Colorectal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer
• Unresectable metastatic or locoregional disease
• At least 1 measurable lesion outside a previously irradiated area or an area treated with physical devices (e.g., cryotherapy, laser, or thermoablation)
• No prior enrollment in EORTC-05963
• No symptomatic brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Over 18
• Performance status:
• WHO 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Neutrophil count greater than 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 90,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• No uncontrolled hypercalcemia
• Cardiovascular:
• No overt cardiac disease
• Pulmonary:
• No severe respiratory illness
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Male patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for up to 6 months after study
• No baseline diarrhea greater than grade I (must have less than 4 stools per 24 hours)
• No prior grade III or IV toxicity related to irinotecan
• No sensory or motor neuropathy with functional impairment
• No prior hypersensitivity to any study drug
• No other primary tumor except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No uncontrolled infectious or chronic disease
• No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No concurrent prophylactic growth factor therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 1 month since prior chemotherapy
• No prior irinotecan, fluorouracil, leucovorin calcium, and oxaliplatin as combination therapy
• Other prior therapy containing irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin allowed
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic or locoregional disease
• Adjuvant chemotherapy considered first-line therapy if tumor relapsed within 6 months of completion of therapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent corticosteroids except for emergencies
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Palliative radiotherapy for bone lesion allowed except for disease progression
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics