Dr. Mulcahy on the Design of the EPOCH Trial in mCRC With Liver Metastases

Mary F. Mulcahy, MD, professor of medicine (hematology and oncology), radiology, and surgery (organ transplantation), Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, discusses the design of the phase 3 EPOCH trial (NCT01483027) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and liver metastases.

The EPOCH trial was designed to evaluate TheraSphere™ Yttrium-90 (Y-90) Glass Microspheres as a second-line therapy for patients with mCRC and liver metastases after patients had progressed on first-line therapy for mCRC, Mulcahy says. The patient population evaluated was selected because they had liver-only disease to ensure they could receive subsequent active chemotherapy, Mulcahy explains. This was taken into consideration given the unknown long-term toxicities of radiation to the liver, Mulcahy adds.

Moreover, patients received TheraSphere in place of cycles 2 of standard second-line chemotherapy, Mulcahy continues. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive standard of care systemic chemotherapy vs standard chemotherapy plus TheraSphere, Mulcahy concludes.