Colorectal Cancer

Bert O’Neil, MD, discusses the need for novel treatments for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer as well as why researchers need to develop a deeper understanding of tumor biology.

Recurrent Colon Cancer with Liver Metastases

Matthew B. Yurgelun, MD, discusses a colorectal cancer study which found nearly 10% of the individuals had an inherited mutation in a cancer susceptibility gene.

Molecular testing of patients with colorectal cancer should be incorporated into standard practice to establish the mutations each patient has that would affect their response to treatment with EGFR-targeted therapies.

John L. Marshall, MD, discusses efforts to determine the underlying molecular basis for the sidedness issue in colorectal cancer.

A Continuum of Care for Metastatic CRC

Manish A. Shah, MD, discusses the HERACLES clinical trial, which explored treatment with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (Tykerb) in patients with HER2-amplified metastatic colorectal cancer.

The PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab showed single-agent activity in previously treated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal, resulting in an overall response rate of 24.3%.

Manish Shah, MD, discusses ongoing efforts to understand the distinction between early-onset CRC and traditional CRC.

The combination of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (Tykerb) resulted in a 30% objective response rate (ORR) in heavily pretreated patients with HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), suggesting a new targeted therapy strategy for later lines of treatment that supports testing for the aberration.

Treatment Options for Metastatic CRC