Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic colorectal cancer
• * Unresectable disease
• * Primary tumor or metastases must be epidermal growth factor receptor-positive by immunohistochemistry
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by CT scan
• * Measurable lesion must not be in a previously irradiated area
• No prior or current CNS metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• WHO 0-1
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin normal
• Renal
• Creatinine clearance \> 50 ml/min
• Cardiovascular
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
• No symptomatic coronary artery disease
• No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
• No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• No other significant cardiac disease
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 12 months after study participation
• Negative pregnancy test
• No peripheral neuropathy of any origin \> grade 1 (e.g., alcohol or diabetes)
• No nausea, vomiting, or malabsorption syndrome that would preclude ingestion or absorption of oral medication
• No severe reaction attributed to fluoropyrimidine therapy
• No known hypersensitivity to fluorouracil or any other component of the trial drugs
• No known dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
• No other medical condition (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes or active autoimmune disease), geographical situation, or psychiatric disorder that would preclude study compliance
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or localized nonmelanoma skin cancer
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic cancer
• At least 6 months since prior adjuvant chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• Not specified
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• At least 30 days since prior experimental drugs
• No other concurrent experimental drugs
• No concurrent drugs that are contraindicated for use with the trial drugs
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No concurrent sorivudine or any of its chemically-related analogues (e.g., lamivudine)