title: The treatment of advanced colorectal cancer: where are we now and where do we go?
abstract: The treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has changed dramatically over recent years. The more optimal use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in association with folinic acid (FA), the development of new drugs such as irinotecan and oxaliplatin and of the oral fluoropyrimidines, capecitabine and UFT, have contributed to increased therapeutic options and to the improved outcome of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. It is shown that combination therapy with 5-FU/FA and irinotecan or oxaliplatin is more active than 5-FU/FA in the first-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Irinotecan and oxaliplatin are also active in the second-line treatment of colorectal cancer. The oral fluoropyrimidines seem to have an activity comparable to that of intravenous 5-FU/FA in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. New agents acting on novel targets are under development: epidermal growth factor inhibitors, vascular endothelial growth inhibitors, COX-2 inhibitors and farnesyl transferase inhibitors might play a role in the future in the treatment of colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine & Gastroenterology, Digestive Oncology Unit, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van Cutsem
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verslype
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Demedts
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011743:Pyrimidines; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil