The COX-2 Inhibitor Rofecoxib Fails to Reduce Colorectal Cancer Recurrence

Aspirin reduces colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality and may reduce disease recurrence after curative treatment. Recent studies have tested whether specific cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors prevent CRC recurrence and have explored potential biomarkers for identifying patients most likely to benefit from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy.

Investigators now report follow-up results of the VICTOR trial (J Clin Oncol 2010; 28:4575), a phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial designed to test whether the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) reduced CRC recurrence versus placebo in more than 2400 patients who had undergone treatment for stage II or III CRC. Of these patients, 14% used low-dose aspirin after, or before and…