Real-world treatment patterns and effectiveness among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with ziv-aflibercept in community oncology practices in the USA

Routine clinical practice data often differ from clinical trials. This study describes real-world treatment patterns and effectiveness among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving ziv-aflibercept in non-academic, community oncology practices in the USA. De-identified electronic medical records from Vector Oncology and Altos Solutions databases were analysed. We identified 218 patients diagnosed with mCRC who had received prior oxaliplatin therapy and initiated ziv-aflibercept as part of second-line or later-line therapy. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Mean age was 62.8 years at ziv-aflibercept initiation. Most patients (91.7%) received bevacizumab before ziv-aflibercept, 95.4% initiated ziv-aflibercept with FOLFIRI or another irinotecan-based regimen, and 59.6% had received prior irinotecan. Overall, 24.8% of patients initiated ziv-aflibercept in second line, 31.7% in third line, 21.6% in fourth line and 22.0% in later lines of therapy. Mean duration of ziv-aflibercept treatment was 5.3 months. For patients initiating ziv-aflibercept in second-, third- and fourth-line therapy, median OS was 11.9 (95% confidence interval 5.1–16.2), 11.1 (6.9–16.7) and 8.1 (5.2–11.4) months, respectively, and median PFS was 4.4 (2.8–6.5), 4.3 (2.9–6.3) and 3.4 (2.2–5.2) months, respectively. Common adverse events (AEs) (any grade) included gastrointestinal disorders (64.7%) and asthenia/fatigue (63.3%). In routine clinical practice, ziv-aflibercept was frequently initiated in third line or later lines of therapy. Although patients receiving ziv-aflibercept were more heavily pretreated and potentially less robust compared with the VELOUR trial, median OS for patients receiving second-line ziv-aflibercept was comparable. AE rates were similar to or lower than the VELOUR trial.