Irinotecan With or Without Panitumumab or Cyclosporine in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer That Did Not Respond to Fluorouracil

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma meeting 1 of the following criteria:
• * Previous or current histologically confirmed primary adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum and clinical/radiological evidence of advanced or metastatic disease
• * Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma with clinical or radiological evidence of colorectal primary tumor
• Unidimensionally measurable disease
• Disease progression during or after prior fluorouracil with or without oxaliplatin therapy and/or with or without bevacizumab
• * Adjuvant therapy and/or prior therapy for advanced disease allowed
• No clinical or radiological evidence of pleural effusion or ascites causing ≥ grade 2 dyspnea
• No clinical or radiological evidence of biliary obstruction
• No known CNS metastases or carcinomatous meningitis
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• WHO performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• Hemoglobin \> 10.0 g/dL
• WBC \> 3,000/mm³
• Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³
• Glomerular filtration rate \> 50 mL/min OR EDTA clearance \> 60 mL/min
• Bilirubin \< 1.46 mg/dL
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• No history of Gilbert's syndrome
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after completion of study treatment
• Capable of completing quality of life questionnaires
• No prior anaphylactic allergic reaction to cetuximab
• No other prior or concurrent cancer (excluding nonmelanomatous skin cancer)
• No unresolved bowel obstruction, uncontrolled gastrointestinal infection, chronic enteropathy (e.g., Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), or chronic diarrhea (≥ 4 stools per day) of any cause
• No recent history of seizures
• No clinical or radiological evidence of interstitial pneumonitis or pulmonary fibrosis,
• Capable of reliable oral self-medication
• No other condition that would make the patient unsuitable for participation in this study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No major thoracic or abdominal surgery within the past 4 weeks
• No systemic anticancer therapy within the past 3 weeks
• No prior irinotecan hydrochloride
• No grapefruit juice within 3 days before and after each chemotherapy treatment
• No experimental drug therapy or antibody therapy, other than cetuximab, within the past 6 weeks
• No systemic chemotherapy and/or cetuximab within the past 3 weeks
• No antifungals or antibiotics within the past 5 days
• No ongoing requirement for cyclosporine or any other medication including, but not limited to, the following:
• * Ketoconazole, fluconazole, itraconazole
• * Erythromycin, clarithromycin, norfloxacin
• * Diltiazem hydrochloride, verapamil, amiodarone hydrochloride
• * Fluvoxamine