Table 1. Base-line patient and tumour characteristics.
| Treatment arm | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total patients | 269 (33%) | 268 (33%) | 267 (33%) |
| Chemotherapy selection | |||
| Ox+Cap | 167 (62%) | 166 (62%) | 166 (62%) |
| OxMdG | 102 (38%) | 102 (38%) | 101 (38%) |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 173 (64%) | 167 (62%) | 174 (65%) |
| Female | 96 (36%) | 101 (38%) | 93 (35%) |
| Age (years) | |||
| <45 | 12 (4%) | 18 (7%) | 14 (5%) |
| 45–54 | 46 (17%) | 34 (13%) | 48 (18%) |
| 55–64 | 88 (33%) | 100 (37%) | 91 (34%) |
| 65–74 | 99 (37%) | 95 (35%) | 94 (35%) |
| 75+ | 24 (9%) | 21 (8%) | 20 (7%) |
| Median age (IQR) | 63 (56, 69) | 63 (58, 69) | 63 (55, 70) |
| WHO PS | |||
| 0 | 120 (45%) | 124 (46%) | 126 (47%) |
| 1 | 128 (48%) | 127 (47%) | 126 (47%) |
| 2 | 21 (8%) | 17 (6%) | 15 (6%) |
| Current status of primary tumour | |||
| Resected | 152 (57%) | 144 (54%) | 140 (52%) |
| Unresected/unresectable | 103 (38%) | 100 (37%) | 108 (40%) |
| Local recurrence | 14 (5%) | 24 (9%) | 19 (7%) |
| Metastases | |||
| No | 2 (1%) | 2 (1%) | 1 (<1%) |
| Yes | 267 (99%) | 266 (99%) | 266 (>99%) |
| Type of metastases | |||
| Liver only | 55 (20%) | 69 (26%) | 67 (25%) |
| Liver | 197 (73%) | 195 (73%) | 194 (73%) |
| Nodes | 127 (47%) | 109 (41%) | 119 (45%) |
| Lung | 107 (40%) | 103 (38%) | 99 (37%) |
| Peritoneum | 40 (15%) | 40 (15%) | 40 (15%) |
| Other | 38 (14%) | 45 (17%) | 36 (13%) |
| Mean no. of metastatic sites at baseline | 2.32 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Site of primary tumour | |||
| Colon | 147 (55%) | 142 (53%) | 136 (51%) |
| Rectum | 82 (30%) | 88 (33%) | 83 (31%) |
| Rectosigmoid junction | 34 (13%) | 37 (14%) | 48 (18%) |
| Other | 2 (1%) | 1 (<1%) | 0 (0%) |
| Missing data | 4 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Prior treatment for patient with metastatic disease | |||
| Radiotherapy | 9 (3%) | 6 (2%) | 2 (1%) |
| Surgery | 54 (20%) | 49 (18%) | 53 (20%) |
PS=performance status.