Location of Primary Tumor Matters in Colorectal Cancer

A retrospective analysis of a phase III clinical trial found that the physical location of the primary tumor predicts survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

The results of the study (abstract 3504) were presented at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology Anual Meeting and showed that patients with left-side tumors-those originating in the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, or the rectum-survived significantly longer than those with tumors originating on the right side, in the ascending colon or the cecum (median overall survival of 33.3 months vs 19.4 months).

In this video, Alan P. Venook, MD, of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Francisco, discusses the results.