Therapy for Unresectable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Significant progress has been made in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. This has included the identification of a number of new chemotherapeutic and biological agents that have clinical activity against colorectal cancer as well as the development of combinations of agents which have led to an approximate doubling in the median overall survival of patients. In addition, a number of genetic or tumor specific factors important in defining potential toxicity or response to therapy have been identified. This holds promise for the ability to define the best treatment approach for each patient based on these biomarkers. This progress provides additional impetus for research into better understanding this disease and identifying improved and potentially curative therapeutic approaches.