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Rational treatment planning for metastatic disease
Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN
In the majority of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), palliative chemotherapy is the only treatment option. In the past 10 years, the availability of new cytotoxic and targeted therapies has considerably prolonged survival and increased the time to disease progression in these patients. No single approach to mCRC management exists; treatment must be individualized for each patient. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends at least four different first-line therapies, eight second-line therapies, and six third-line therapies for patients who can tolerate intensive therapy. With patients living longer, the current challenge in treating mCRC lies in long-term treatment planning—developing a strategy to allow patients to experience the maximum benefit of therapy by providing all available active agents over the course of therapy and, at the same time, minimizing toxicities. In an effort to reduce the toxicity associated with chemotherapy regimens, the concept of drug holidays in managing mCRC is being actively explored.
| Commun Oncol 2007;4(suppl 3):24–29 | full text |  154 kb |