OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and servival rate of cetuxiamb plus chemotherapy with the traditional chemotherapy alone in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.( mCRC). METHODS This is a retrospective observational study which was conducted from January 2004 to December 2008. Hospitalized patients diagnosed with mCRC and treated with chemotherapy regimen of FOLFIRI (irinotecan/ 5-fluorouracil/ leucovorin) plus cetuximab or patients treated with FOLFIRI or FOLFOX (oxaliplatin/5-fluorouracil/leucovorin) chemotherapy regimen alone for a course of 1 year were recruited. The medical records for all patients recruited were evaluated by clinical pharmacist. T-test was used for analysis. RESULTS A total of 143 patients were identified. Sixty-five patients were treated with FOLFIRI (irinotecan/ 5-fluorouracil/ leucovorin) plus cetuximab and seventy-eight patients were treated with FOLFIRI or FOLFOX alone. The results showed that total 50 patients treated with FOLFIRI combined with cetuximab were survived about 17.3 months, survival rate was 64%; whereas, total of 65 patients treated with FOLFIRI or FOLFOX alone were survived about 12.9 months, survival rate was 41%. By using chemotherapy combined with cetuximab, the survival rate increased about 4.4 momths as compared to the chemogtherapy alone. The difference of survival rate between two groups is statistical significant. ( p value is 0.018). CONCLUSIONS The preliminary result indicated that chemotherapy plus cetuximab is more effective as compared to chemotherapy alone for mCRC patients. However, cetuximab is more expensive target chemotherapeutic drugs in our country, therefore, evaluation on direct medical costs of two regimens is indispensable and data will be completed in the near future.