Chemotherapy of colorectal cancer

Susan Partyka1 and Jaffer Ajani1

(1) Division of Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 78, 77030 Houston, Texas


Opinion Statement – Progress has been made in the adjuvant treatment of colorectal carcinoma.
– The improvement in survival with the use of adjuvant 5-FU and leucovorin in patients with stage III colon carcinoma has been readily established. However, a survival benefit in stage II patients treated with adjuvant therapy remains unproven. Further evaluation using additional/new prognostic factors may identify a high-risk stage II group that would benefit from adjuvant treatment.
– Adjuvant chemoradiation has become standard therapy for stage II and III patients with rectal carcinoma. Investigations using preoperative combined-modality therapy are being explored to assess sphincter preservation rates and to evaluate any impact on survival. Radiosensitizing chemotherapeutic agents need to be evaluated in this patient population.
– Recent advances in metastatic disease have occurred. Frontline therapy remains 5-FU and leucovorin. CPT-11 has demonstrated responses in 5-FU relapsed and refractory patients and is the new standard therapy in these patients. New data recently available also show a survival advantage in patients treated with CPT-11 versus supportive care in 5-FU and leucovorin failures.
– New agents such as UFT and oxaliplatin have demonstrated activity in colorectal carcinomas and in the future these agents will likely aid in the treatment of this disease.