Onkológia 5/2015

Optimization of treatment of colorectal cancer

The median survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has improved from one year to more then three years due to the introduction of biologic and target therapy, more effective therapeutic combinations and more informations about tumors biology. More recently, the incorporation of all-RAS testing for use of EGFR inhibitors has been needed. First line therapy with an EGFR inhibitor versus a VEGF inhibitor for RAS wild type colorectal cancer has been discussed. We have seen the growing area of research in BRAF-mutated tumors. Many new treatment approaches have been indroduced, one of them is the information about the opportunity of maintenance therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. Many studies has evaluated the benefit of combining perioperative systematic treatment and surgery for patients with initially resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

Keywords: epidermal growth factor receptor – EGFR inhibitor, vascular endothelial growth factor VEGF inhibitor, RAS mutations, BRAF mutated tumor, maintenance therapy, perioperative systematic treatment.