This clinical examination investigates the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, a type of cancer that starts in the colon or rectum and spreads to other parts of the body. The study involves older patients with this advanced stage of cancer. The goal is to find out if starting with a lower dose of chemotherapy is as effective as the full-dose treatment for keeping the disease from progressing. Chemotherapy medicines used in this study include Oxaliplatin, Calcium Folinate (sometimes known as folinic acid), Capecitabine, and Fluorouracil.
The therapy involves different medications given either by injection, infusion, or in tablet form. Oxaliplatin is provided as a concentrate for infusion, which means it is mixed into a liquid and given through a vein. Calcium Folinate can be given by injection or infusion. Capecitabine comes in tablet form and is taken orally, while Fluorouracil is delivered by injection or infusion. The study compares the effects of reduced doses versus full doses of these treatments, while also considering the risk of side effects. A placebo may be used in some cases to compare the effectiveness against the actual drugs.
The main purpose of this study is to determine if these lower-dose treatments are not less effective than full-dose treatments when it comes to delaying cancer progression. Attention is also given to how patients handle the treatments, looking at things like quality of life and unforeseen hospital visits.
The Netherlands 
