Colon cancer

Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2004 Aug;51(2):145-70. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2004.03.003.

Abstract

Colon cancer is one of the leading tumours in the world and is considered among the big killers, together with lung, prostate and breast cancer. In the recent years very important advances occurred in the field of treatment of this frequent disease: adjuvant chemotherapy was demonstrated to be effective, chiefly in stage III patients, and surgery was optimized in order to achieve the best results with a low morbidity. Several new target-oriented drugs are under evaluation and some of them (cetuximab and bevacizumab) have already exhibited a good activity/efficacy, mainly in combination with chemotherapy. The development of updated recommendations for the best management of these patients is crucial in order to obtain the best results, not only in clinical research but also in everyday practice. This report summarizes the most important achievements in this field and provides the readers useful suggestions for their professional practice.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Colonic Neoplasms*
  • Digestive System Surgical Procedures
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Radiotherapy
  • Risk Factors