title: Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage II Colon Cancer: A Clinical Dilemma.
abstract: The decision to treat a patient with stage II colon cancer with adjuvant chemotherapy can be challenging. Although the benefit of treatment is clear in most patients with stage III disease, the decision to provide chemotherapy after surgical resection in stage II disease must be made on an individual basis. Several trials have demonstrated the small but absolute benefits of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer for disease-free survival and overall survival. In an attempt to better understand the role of chemotherapy, several studies were performed that identified high-risk characteristics that can be used prognostically and predictively to aid in the clinical decision making process. ASCO, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and the European Society of Medical Oncology have published guidelines describing these high-risk characteristics. Since then, several other molecular markers have emerged that may offer more information on a given patient's risk for recurrence. The decision to treat a patient with stage II colon cancer must be made on an individual basis, considering the risks and benefits of treatment. In this short review, we will present the available evidence and offer possible directions for future study.
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; St. George's University School of Medicine, True Blue, Grenada, West Indies; and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanford Cancer Center, Bismarck, ND.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kannarkatt
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; St. George's University School of Medicine, True Blue, Grenada, West Indies; and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanford Cancer Center, Bismarck, ND.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; St. George's University School of Medicine, True Blue, Grenada, West Indies; and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanford Cancer Center, Bismarck, ND.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Kurniali
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; St. George's University School of Medicine, True Blue, Grenada, West Indies; and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanford Cancer Center, Bismarck, ND.
authors.forename: Anas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Janadi
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; St. George's University School of Medicine, True Blue, Grenada, West Indies; and University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sanford Cancer Center, Bismarck, ND.
authors.forename: Borys
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hrinczenko
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor