Background: The MOSAIC trial demonstrated that adding oxaliplatin to 5-FU/LV (FOLFOX4) improved 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) compared to infusional and bolus 5-FU/LV as adjuvant therapy in patients (pts) with stage II/III colon cancer [André et al. NEJM 2004]. A significant survival advantage for FOLFOX4 versus 5-FU/LV was not evident until after median duration of follow-up had exceeded 6 years [André et al. JCO 2009]. Study NO16968 demonstrated that XELOX was superior to bolus 5-FU/LV as adjuvant therapy in pts with stage III colon cancer in terms of DFS at 57 months median follow-up (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.69–0.93; p=0.0045) [Haller et al. JCO 2011]. The difference between treatment groups in overall survival (OS) was not significant at 59 months median follow-up (HR=0.87; p=0.1486). Data from the planned final analysis of NO16968 are presented. Methods: Pts with resected stage III colon cancer were randomized to receive XELOX (8 cycles, 24w) or bolus 5-FU/LV (Mayo Clinic, 6 cycles; 24w or Roswell Park, 4 cycles; 32w). The primary study endpoint was DFS. Secondary endpoints included OS. Results: The ITT population included 1886 pts (XELOX, n=944; 5-FU/LV, n=942). After a median follow-up of 74 months, the HR (XELOX vs 5-FU/LV) for DFS was 0.80 (95% CI 0.69–0.93; p=0.0038). Seven-year DFS rates were 63% for XELOX and 56% for 5-FU/LV. After a median follow-up of 83 months, the HR for OS was 0.83 (95% CI 0.70–0.99; p=0.0367). Absolute 7-year OS rates were 73% with XELOX and 67% with 5-FU/LV. After adjusting for stratification and prognostic variables, HRs remained essentially unchanged for both DFS (0.79; 95% CI 0.68–0.91; p=0.0016) and OS (0.84; 95% CI 0.71–1.00; p=0.0477). Locoregional / systemic treatments after recurrence were given in 230 (24%) XELOX pts and 308 (33%) 5-FU/LV pts. Conclusions: The combination of oxaliplatin and capecitabine improves OS significantly compared with 5-FU/LV in the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer after a median follow-up of 83 months; these data are comparable to those achieved with FOLFOX4 in the MOSAIC trial. XELOX is an effective adjuvant therapy option for pts with resected stage III colon cancer.