OBJECTIVES:
Primary
* Define the dose-limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose of gemcitabine hydrochloride when administered with capecitabine and oxaliplatin as second-line therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer previously treated with irinotecan hydrochloride. (Phase I)
* Determine the recommended phase II dose of gemcitabine hydrochloride in these patients. (Phase I)
* Assess overall response rate in patients treated with this regimen. (Phase II)
Secondary
* Assess the progression-free survival of patients treated with this regimen. (Phase II)
* Assess the time to treatment failure, duration of response, and time to response in patients treated with this regimen. (Phase II)
* Assess the overall survival of patients treated with this regimen. (Phase II)
* Assess the safety of this regimen in these patients. (Phase II)
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, phase I, dose-escalation study of gemcitabine hydrochloride, followed by a phase II, open-label study.
* Phase I: Patients receive gemcitabine hydrochloride IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 8, oral capecitabine twice daily on days 1-14, and oxaliplatin IV over 2 hours on day 1. Courses repeat every 21 days.
Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of gemcitabine hydrochloride until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined.
* Phase II: Patients receive gemcitabine hydrochloride at the MTD determined in phase I and capecitabine and oxaliplatin as in phase I.