Colorectal Cancer

Regular use of aspirin has been linked with a small but significant reduction in the risk for overall cancer, and especially gastrointestinal cancers.

The addition of selective internal radiation therapy with yttrium-90 resin microspheres to standard FOLFOX chemotherapy did not improve progression-free survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, but it did significantly delay disease progression in the liver.

Muscle area decreases significantly during treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer, and lower muscle area is associated with poor survival.

High expression levels of EGFR ligands epiregulin and amphiregulin are associated with increased benefit from panitumumab in patients with RAS wildtype advanced colorectal cancer.

A combination of four biomarkers may be able to help clinicians identify patients who have a high-risk type of colorectal cancer.

A short-course of preoperative radiation therapy plus consolidated chemotherapy was shown to be as effective as standard preoperative chemoradiation in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer.

Here, we review the studies that have explored different treatment regimens, therapeutic sequencing, and biologic inclusions for the treatment of these patients, with neoadjuvant intent. We also describe how we have established our own treatment paradigm for the management of potentially curable metastatic colorectal cancer.

It remains difficult to decipher which patients are appropriate candidates for conversion therapy vs upfront surgery. Therefore, in predicting potential outcomes, several factors should be considered. Here, we will attempt to address such factors and provide insights.

In all other settings, giving chemotherapy just to make us feel better emotionally in exchange for potential harm to the patient is not the right strategy. We need to find better treatments for this new clinical indication.

There is clear proof of principle for adjuvant therapy in patients at high risk for tumor recurrence, such as those with resected metastatic colorectal cancer. For that reason, this strategy has been largely adopted, especially using 5-FU– and oxaliplatin-based regimens, thereby mirroring the approach in resected stage III colon cancer.

The use of a reduced preparation CT colonography increased participation in colonography as a method of population screening for colorectal cancer, according to the results of a large Italian study.

Paid sick leave benefits could alleviate some of the financial burden patients with colorectal cancer incur during treatment and boost their job retention.

A program implemented in New York City successfully increased colorectal cancer screening rates and diminished racial and ethnic disparities in screening.

Reaching out to underserved populations about colorectal cancer screening using mailed invitations resulted in significantly improved colorectal cancer screening rates in a recently published study.

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and a low BMI were at higher risk for disease progression and death; this risk did not affect those with a high BMI.

Patients with a prior history of colorectal adenomas saw no reduction in the risk for recurrence with the use of a daily supplement of vitamin D, calcium, or both.

Minimally invasive laparoscopic-assisted surgery did not result in better outcomes compared to open surgery for rectal cancer, according to two clinical trials.

A study showed that tumors of younger patients with early-onset colorectal cancer differ from the tumors of those diagnosed later in life, both genetically and epigenetically.

Blocking the MAPK pathway through treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib resulted in meaningful clinical activity in a subset of patients with BRAF V600-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer.

The USPSTF recently issued a draft recommendation advising the use of aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer in certain patients aged 50 to 69 years.

A payment system for colonoscopies offering full insurance coverage at low-priced facilities and cost sharing at high-priced alternatives reduced spending with no increase in complications.

Consumption of four or more cups of coffee a day was associated with a reduced risk for colon cancer recurrence and death in patients with stage III disease.

A new scoring system may help to identify patients at low risk for colorectal cancer who could forego screening with colonoscopy.

Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at younger ages are more likely to have an underlying hereditary syndrome than older patients, according to a new study.

The use of BEAMing technology on circulating DNA to identify multiple mutations in real time could help guide treatment in colorectal cancer patients.