Cetuximab and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed colorectal cancer
• * Advanced or metastatic disease
• Scheduled to receive first- or second-line therapy for metastatic disease
• No cerebral metastases or symptomatic or uncontrolled meningeal disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• WHO performance status 0-2
• ANC ≥ 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Total bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 3 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No intestinal blockage
• No complete dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency
• No chronic inflammatory disease of the colon
• No other cancer except for nonmelanoma skin cancer or curatively treated carcinoma of the cervix or breast
• No other severe condition, or condition that is likely to worsen, including any of the following:
• * Unstable heart disease
• * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• * Active uncontrolled infection
• No contraindication to atropine
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior anticancer therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational therapy
• Prior adjuvant chemotherapy allowed
• No prior fluorouracil or irinotecan hydrochloride
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy