We randomly assigned 820 patients with advanced colorectal cancer to receive either first-line treatment with capecitabine , second-line irinotecan , and third-line capecitabine plus oxaliplatin ( sequential treatment ; n = 410 ) or first-line treatment capecitabine plus irinotecan and second-line capecitabine plus oxaliplatin ( combination treatment ; n = 410 ) .
