Colorectal cancer

Discussion: adjuvant therapy for colon cancer

From Cancer Guidelines Wiki


Unresolved issues[edit source]

The failure of oxaliplatin to show a benefit in adjuvant therapy for elderly patients is not well understood. The discordance between clinical trial outcomes for oxaliplatin treatment in elderly patients when given in adjuvant therapy, and when given in the treatment of metastatic disease, cannot be explained based on current data.

The role of adjuvant therapy for patients with stage II colon cancer has not been well defined.

Studies currently underway[edit source]

ECOG E5202, comparing adjuvant FOLFOX alone with FOLFOX plus bevacizumab in patients with high-risk Stage II colon cancer, was closed prematurely due to the lack of benefit from the addition of oxaliplatin in other studies. No outcome data have yet been reported.

Future research priorities[edit source]

Future research priorities include:

  • improved risk stratification for patients based on existing and emerging tumour tissue and blood prognostic markers
  • real-time markers of adjuvant therapy benefit.

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