|
Expanded treatment options in metastatic disease
Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
In the past 5 years, the armamentarium of therapeutic agents for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has expanded substantially to include three cytotoxic agents (irinotecan, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine) and three biologic ones (bevacizumab, cetuximab, and panitumumab). Recent guidelines recommend the use of a combination of these agents as the standard of care for patients with mCRC. The improved outcome associated with bevacizumab has led to its addition to all current first-line regimens for patients who can tolerate intensive therapy, with the option of including it in first-line therapy for patients who cannot tolerate intensive treatment. Additionally, increasing evidence indicates that exposure to irinotecan, oxaliplatin, and a fluoropyrimidine over the course of treatment can improve survival. Given the wide variety of options, the challenge lies in developing a treatment plan that includes the best integration and sequencing of agents for each patient.
| Commun Oncol 2007;4(suppl 3):17–23 | full text |  182 kb |