Colon CancerPhase 3OPTICALNCT02572141
FOLFOX or CAPOX Perioperative Chemotherapy Versus Postoperative Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Colon Cancer (OPTICAL)
A Phase 3 study testing Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens and Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens in people with Colon Cancer, run by Sun Yat-sen University at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
BACKGROUND: In patients with high risk stage II and stage III colon cancer (CC), curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens has become a standard treatment. However, 20 to 30 % of these patients will develop distant metastasis, which ultimately result in death. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Colon Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens and Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 738 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2015to 1 Apr 2031
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
- Histological or cytological documentation of adenocarcinoma of the colon (≥ 15 cm from the anal verge).
- Determined preoperatively by either spiral or multidetector CT: high risk T3 (tumor disruption of muscle wall and extension into pericolic fat with more than 5 mm protrusion into adjacent mesenteric fat) or T4 (tumor penetrates to the surface of the visceral peritoneum or directly invades or is adherent to adjacent organs or structures).
- Male or female subjects > 18 years < 70 of age.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
- CT or MRI scans (done within 30 days of registration) of the chest, abdomen and pelvis all without clear evidence of distant metastatic (M1) disease.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Non complicated primary tumor (obstruction, perforation, bleeding).
- No previous any systemic anticancer therapy for colon cancer disease.
- Adequate bone marrow, hepatic and renal function as assessed by the following laboratory requirements conducted within 7 days of starting study treatment:
Who cannot join
- Previous or concurrent cancer that is distinct in primary site or histology from colon cancer within 5 years prior to randomization.
- Significant cardiovascular disease including unstable angina or myocardial infarction within 6 months before initiating study treatment.
- Heart failure grade III/IV (NYHA-classification).
- Unresolved toxicity higher than CTCAE v.4.0 Grade 1 attributed to any prior therapy/procedure.
- Subjects with known allergy to the study drugs or to any of its excipients.
- Current or recent (within 4 weeks prior to starting study treatment) treatment of another investigational drug or participation in another investigational study.
- Breast- feeding or pregnant women
- Lack of effective contraception.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
China1 site
The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510655
About this study
Official title: A Phase III Study to Evaluate the 3-year Disease-free Survival in Patients With Locally Advanced Colon Cancer Receiving Either Perioperative or Postoperative Chemotherapy With FOLFOX or CAPOX Regimens
BACKGROUND:
In patients with high risk stage II and stage III colon cancer (CC), curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens has become a standard treatment. However, 20 to 30 % of these patients will develop distant metastasis, which ultimately result in death. Perioperative chemotherapy is a promising strategy with potential benefits that could be more effective at eradicating micrometastases. Moreover, shrinking tumor before surgery not only facilitate removal of all the tumor by the surgeon but also reduce tumor cell spreading during the procedure. With recent advances in radiology, preoperative computed tomography is a robust method for measuring the depth of tumor invasion and identifying the CC patients with poor prognosis, who may benefit from perioperative chemotherapy. The investigators conducted the present randomized study to explore whether perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens compared with postoperative chemotherapy could improve disease-free survival in patients with radiologically staged, locally advanced, but resectable colon cancer.
Read more
OBJECTIVE:
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens compared to postoperative chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced colon cancer. Secondary objectives are efficacy in terms of R0 resection rate, overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), down-staging of primary tumors, and tolerability of perioperative therapy and postoperative complications.
Read the detailed description
OVERVIEW OF TRIAL DESIGN:
This trial is a a two-arm, multicenter, open labelled, prospective, randomized phase III studies. Eligible patients with locally advanced (T4 or T3 with extramural depth≧5 mm) colon cancer patients will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either perioperative or postoperative chemotherapy.
- Conditions
- Colon Cancer
- Being tested
- Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens, Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens
- Medical subject headings
- Colonic Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimensDrug
Also called Oxaliplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, Capecitabine, Leucovorin
mFOLFOX6 (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 85 mg/m2 on day 1 followed by IV leucovorin 400 mg/m2 over 2h, IV bolus 5-Fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 and IV infusional 5-Fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46h every 14 days) for 6 cycles followed by colectomy (3 to 5 weeks after) followed by mFOLFOX6 (6 cycles); CAPOX (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 130 mg/m2 on day 1, oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1 through 14 every 21 days) for 4 cycles followed by colectomy (3 to 5 weeks after) followed by CAPOX (4 cycles).
Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimensDrug
Also called Oxaliplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, Capecitabine, Leucovorin
Colectomy (maximum 4 weeks after randomization) followed by mFOLFOX6 (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 85 mg/m2 on day 1 followed by IV leucovorin 400 mg/m2 over 2h, IV bolus 5-Fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 and IV infusional 5-Fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46h every 14 days) for 12 cycles; Colectomy (maximum 4 weeks after randomization) followed by CAPOX (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 130 mg/m2 on day 1, oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1 through 14 every 21 days) for 8 cycles
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Perioperative chemotherapy | Experimental | Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens Receives: Drug: Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens |
| Postoperative chemotherapy | Active comparator | Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens Receives: Drug: Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Disease-free survival
Defined as the time from randomization to relapse or death, whichever occurred first.
Measured: 3 years
Secondary outcomes (6)
Curative resection rate
Curative resection defined as complete tumor resection with all margins being negative.
Measured: 2 years
Overall survival (OS)
Defined as the time from randomization to death from any cause.
Measured: 5 years
Relapse-free survival (RFS)
Defined as the time from randomization to relapse.
Measured: 5 years
Down-staging of primary tumors
Down-staging of the resected tumour as measured by histopathological tumour diameter and stage according to the TNM staging system of AJCC (7th version).
Measured: 2 years
Toxicity assessed using the NCI common toxicity criteria, version 4.0.
The grade of toxicity will be assessed using the NCI common toxicity criteria, version 4.0.
Measured: 2 years
Postoperative complications
Measured: 3 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Oct 2015 (estimated)
- Study start1 Jan 2015
- Primary completion15 Mar 2023
- Study completion1 Apr 2031 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Colon CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Sun Yat-sen UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 738 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sun Yat-sen University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Yanhong Deng, Sun Yat-sen University
- Investigators
- Yanhong Deng, M.D., Principal investigator, Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02572141
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- GIHSYSU10
- Other IDs
- C01
- Acronym
- OPTICAL
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Oct 2015
- Last updated
- 22 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Hu H, Zhang J, Li Y, Wang X, Wang Z, Wang H, Kang L, Liu P, Lan P, Wu X, Zhen Y, Pei H, Huang Z, Zhang H, Chen W, Zeng Y, Lai J, Wei H, Huang X, Chen J, Chen J, Tao K, Xu Q, Peng X, Liang J, Cai G, Ding K, Ding Z, Hu M, Zhang W, Tang B, Hong C, Cao J, Huang Z, Cao W, Li F, Wang X, Wang C, Huang Y, Zhao Y, Cai Y, Ling J, Xie X, Wu Z, Shi L, Ling L, Liu H, Wang J, Huang M, Deng Y; OPTICAL study group. Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy With Oxaliplatin and Fluoropyrimidine Versus Upfront Surgery for Locally Advanced Colon Cancer: The Randomized, Phase III OPTICAL Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Sep 1;42(25):2978-2988. doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.01889. Epub 2024 Apr 2.
PubMed 38564700
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Phase III Study to Evaluate the 3-year Disease-free Survival in Patients With Locally Advanced Colon Cancer Receiving Either Perioperative or Postoperative Chemotherapy With FOLFOX or CAPOX Regimens
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02572141
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- OPTICAL / GIHSYSU10
- Conditions
- Colon Cancer
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 738 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Sun Yat-sen UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Apr 2031 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Oct 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
BACKGROUND:
In patients with high risk stage II and stage III colon cancer (CC), curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens has become a standard treatment. However, 20 to 30 % of these patients will develop distant metastasis, which ultimately result in death. Perioperative chemotherapy is a promising strategy with potential benefits that could be more effective at eradicating micrometastases. Moreover, shrinking tumor before surgery not only facilitate removal of all the tumor by the surgeon but also reduce tumor cell spreading during the procedure. With recent advances in radiology, preoperative computed tomography is a robust method for measuring the depth of tumor invasion and identifying the CC patients with poor prognosis, who may benefit from perioperative chemotherapy. The investigators conducted the present randomized study to explore whether perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens compared with postoperative chemotherapy could improve disease-free survival in patients with radiologically staged, locally advanced, but resectable colon cancer.
OBJECTIVE:
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of perioperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens compared to postoperative chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced colon cancer. Secondary objectives are efficacy in terms of R0 resection rate, overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), down-staging of primary tumors, and tolerability of perioperative therapy and postoperative complications.
Detailed description
OVERVIEW OF TRIAL DESIGN:
This trial is a a two-arm, multicenter, open labelled, prospective, randomized phase III studies. Eligible patients with locally advanced (T4 or T3 with extramural depth≧5 mm) colon cancer patients will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive either perioperative or postoperative chemotherapy.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Perioperative chemotherapy | Experimental | Drug: Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimensPerioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens |
| Postoperative chemotherapy | Active comparator | Drug: Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimensPostoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
- Histological or cytological documentation of adenocarcinoma of the colon (≥ 15 cm from the anal verge).
- Determined preoperatively by either spiral or multidetector CT: high risk T3 (tumor disruption of muscle wall and extension into pericolic fat with more than 5 mm protrusion into adjacent mesenteric fat) or T4 (tumor penetrates to the surface of the visceral peritoneum or directly invades or is adherent to adjacent organs or structures).
- Male or female subjects > 18 years < 70 of age.
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Previous or concurrent cancer that is distinct in primary site or histology from colon cancer within 5 years prior to randomization.
- Significant cardiovascular disease including unstable angina or myocardial infarction within 6 months before initiating study treatment.
- Heart failure grade III/IV (NYHA-classification).
- Unresolved toxicity higher than CTCAE v.4.0 Grade 1 attributed to any prior therapy/procedure.
- Subjects with known allergy to the study drugs or to any of its excipients.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimensAlso: Oxaliplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, Capecitabine, LeucovorinmFOLFOX6 (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 85 mg/m2 on day 1 followed by IV leucovorin 400 mg/m2 over 2h, IV bolus 5-Fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 and IV infusional 5-Fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46h every 14 days) for 6 cycles followed by colectomy (3 to 5 weeks after) followed by mFOLFOX6 (6 cycles); CAPOX (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 130 mg/m2 on day 1, oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1 through 14 every 21 days) for 4 cycles followed by colectomy (3 to 5 weeks after) followed by CAPOX (4 cycles). | Drug | Perioperative chemotherapy |
| Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimensAlso: Oxaliplatin, 5-Fluorouracil, Capecitabine, LeucovorinColectomy (maximum 4 weeks after randomization) followed by mFOLFOX6 (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 85 mg/m2 on day 1 followed by IV leucovorin 400 mg/m2 over 2h, IV bolus 5-Fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 and IV infusional 5-Fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 over 46h every 14 days) for 12 cycles; Colectomy (maximum 4 weeks after randomization) followed by CAPOX (IV oxaliplatin given over 120 min at a dose of 130 mg/m2 on day 1, oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1 through 14 every 21 days) for 8 cycles | Drug | Postoperative chemotherapy |
Primary outcome
Disease-free survival
Time frame: 3 years
Defined as the time from randomization to relapse or death, whichever occurred first.
6 secondary outcomes
Curative resection rate
Time frame: 2 years
Overall survival (OS)
Time frame: 5 years
Relapse-free survival (RFS)
Time frame: 5 years
Down-staging of primary tumors
Time frame: 2 years
Toxicity assessed using the NCI common toxicity criteria, version 4.0.
Time frame: 2 years
Postoperative complications
Time frame: 3 years
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 May 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38564700Hu H, Zhang J, Li Y, Wang X, Wang Z, Wang H, Kang L, Liu P, Lan P, Wu X, Zhen Y, Pei H, Huang Z, Zhang H, Chen W, Zeng Y, Lai J, Wei H, Huang X, Chen J, Chen J, Tao K, Xu Q, Peng X, Liang J, Cai G, Ding K, Ding Z, Hu M, Zhang W, Tang B, Hong C, Cao J, Huang Z, Cao W, Li F, Wang X, Wang C, Huang Y, Zhao Y, Cai Y, Ling J, Xie X, Wu Z, Shi L, Ling L, Liu H, Wang J, Huang M, Deng Y; OPTICAL study group. Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy With Oxaliplatin and Fluoropyrimidine Versus Upfront Surgery for Locally Advanced Colon Cancer: The Randomized, Phase III OPTICAL Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Sep 1;42(25):2978-2988. doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.01889. Epub 2024 Apr 2.
Related trials for Colon Cancer
Not yet recruitingPhase 1
Hepatic Artery Infusion of Carfilzomib in Participants With Liver Metastatic Disease Previously Treated With Hepatic Artery Infusion Pump Therapy
Colorectal Neoplasms, Neoplasms
Active, not recruiting
Streamlined Geriatric and Oncological Evaluation Based On IC Technology
Breast Cancer, Comorbidities and Coexisting Conditions
Enrolling by invitationObservational study
Natural History Study of Early Life Exposures in Agriculture (ELEA)
Prostate Cancer, Leukemia
RecruitingPhase 2
Tislelizumab in People With Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Not yet recruitingPhase 2
Alberta Cancer Exercise Dose in Colorectal Cancer
Cancer, Colorectal Cancer
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Yanhong Deng, M.D. principal investigator
Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 3 study testing Perioperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens and Postoperative chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 or CAPOX regimens in people with Colon Cancer, run by Sun Yat-sen University at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Disease-free survival (time frame: 3 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02572141, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 May 2026.