FDA Provides Safety Labeling Update for Capecitabine and Fluorouracil on Risks Associated With DPD Deficiency
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided communication to increase awareness of recent updates to the product labeling of capecitabine (Xeloda) and fluorouracil—indicated for colorectal, breast, gastric/esophageal/gastroesophageal, and pancreatic cancers—related to risks associated...
Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: Transplant or Resect?
Colorectal metastases isolated to the liver no longer portend a universally fatal outcome. In 2024, the TransMet study1demonstrated that liver transplantation in select patients could be life-saving—thus changing the treatment paradigm—but so can surgical resection when appropriately applied....
First-Line mFOLFOXIRI Plus Panitumumab for RAS/BRAF Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Conca et al, the final results of the Italian phase III TRIPLETE trial showed that first-line mFOLFOXIRI (modified fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, irinotecan) plus panitumumab improved overall survival vs mFOLFOX (modified fluorouracil,...
Overall Survival With 3 vs 6 Months of Adjuvant Oxaliplatin Plus Fluoropyrimidine for Colorectal Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Iveson et al, final results of the UK-based noninferiority phase III SCOT trial have shown noninferiority of 3 vs 6 months of adjuvant oxaliplatin plus fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy in overall survival among patients with colorectal cancer....
Can Color Vision Deficiency Impact Survival in Bladder or Colorectal Cancer?
Color vision deficiency is an inherited condition affecting 1 in 12 males (8%) and 1 in 200 females (0.5%), most often impairing the ability to distinguish the color red. A recent study published in Nature Health examined the possible impact of color vision deficiency on survival outcomes among...
Researchers Advance Understanding of Female Sexual Anatomy to Improve Pelvic Cancer Radiotherapy
A recent, innovative study provides radiation oncologists with practical guidance to identify and protect female sexual organs during pelvic cancer treatment. Published by Greenwald et al in Practical Radiation Oncology, the report’s authors address a long-standing gap in cancer care by bringing...
Outcomes With Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Childhood Cancer Survivors Who Received Abdominopelvic Radiation
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Yeh et al found that childhood cancer survivors who received abdominopelvic radiation, who are at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, can benefit from early screening to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and associated...
CRI Launches Open Database for Immunotherapy Cancer Research
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) in collaboration with 10x Genomics, Stanford University School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has launched an open foundational database for cancer immunotherapy research. The...
Colorectal Cancer: How Does Lifetime Alcohol Consumption Affect Risk?
Studies have demonstrated a link between alcohol consumption and an elevated risk of colorectal cancer. New research now reveals that higher lifetime alcohol consumption is also associated with a higher risk, especially for rectal cancer, and that quitting drinking can lower a person’s risk. The...
New Report Shows Colorectal Cancer Is Top Cause of Cancer Mortality in Those Under 50
A new study by American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers shows that overall cancer mortality in people younger than age 50 in the United States has decreased by 44%, from 25.5 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 14.2 in 2023. The progress is due to declines in mortality for four of the five leading...
Can DNA Testing of Colorectal Polyps Improve Insight Into Genetic Risks?
It is estimated that hereditary factors play a role in about 5% to 10% of colorectal cancer cases, with a higher prevalence of hereditary factors seen in younger patients. Many colorectal polyps are considered potential precursors to cancer: at least 10 polyps in individuals younger than 60 years...
Study Finds GLP-1 RAs May Influence Colorectal Cancer Mortality
Colon cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality both in the United States and globally. Emerging evidence suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may influence cancer mortality, and the results from a new study may add to that mounting ...
Impact of Physical Activity on Fatigue, Quality of Life in Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancer
Greater levels of physical activity in the first 2 years after a colorectal cancer diagnosis were associated with reduced cancer-related fatigue and improved quality of life in patients with nonmetastatic disease, according to findings from a prospective, multicenter, longitudinal analysis from a...
Do GLP-1 RAs Reduce the Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer More Than Aspirin?
Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2025, about 154,270 individuals were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and approximately 53,000 individuals died from the...
Triplet Therapy Demonstrates Superior Progression-Free Survival in First-Line dMMR/MSI-H Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The combination regimen of FOLFOX chemotherapy (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin), bevacizumab, and atezolizumab led to a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival compared with atezolizumab monotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with deficient...
BRAF V600E–Mutant Colorectal Cancer: First-Line Encorafenib, Cetuximab, and FOLFIRI
New results from the BREAKWATER trial show that the targeted therapy combination of encorafenib and cetuximab with the chemotherapy fluorouracil, folinic acid, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) can reduce the size or number of tumors in patients with BRAF V600E–mutant metastatic colorectal cancer. Adding...
High Neighborhood Fast Food Expenditure and Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Studies show that while the overall rates of colorectal cancer are decreasing, for individuals younger than age 50, the incidence has risen by an alarming 50% since the mid-1990s. While the exact causes are unknown, poor diet and alcohol consumption are believed to be contributing factors. A study...
NSAIDs May Improve Survival in Postoperative ctDNA-Positive Patients With Colon Cancer
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels may help to determine which patients with colon cancer could benefit from the addition of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as celecoxib, to chemotherapy following surgery, according to findings from a post hoc analysis of the CALGB/SWOG 80702...
Validation of Pathology-AI Integration Tool for Risk Stratification in Locally Advanced Colon Cancer Without Chemotherapy
The Combined Analysis of Pathology and Artificial Intelligence (AI; CAPAI) model effectively stratified patients with colon cancer into distinct prognostic groups, identifying nearly half as low-risk, with “favorable” cancer-specific survival outcomes in the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy,...
Total Neoadjuvant Therapy and Nonoperative Management in pMMR/MSS Stage II to III Rectal Cancer
In an Italian phase II trial (NO-CUT) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Amatu et al found that total neoadjuvant therapy followed by nonoperative management in cases of complete response resulted in promising outcomes in patients with proficient mismatch repair or microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS)...
First-Line Treatment in RAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Outcomes Associated With Consensus Molecular Subtypes
In an individual patient meta-analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Stahler et al identified outcomes associated with consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) in patients undergoing first-line treatment for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Study Details Individual patient...
Zanzalintinib Plus Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
The phase III STELLAR-303 trial evaluated the anti-VEGFR–related multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanzalintinib in combination with the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab vs the multikinase inhibitor regorafenib in patients with previously treated non–microsatellite instability (MSI)–high...
Zanzalintinib Plus Atezolizumab vs Regorafenib in Previously Treated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Without MSI-H or dMMR Tumors
In a phase III trial (STELLAR-303) reported in The Lancet, Hecht et al found that the combination of the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanzalintinib and atezolizumab improved overall survival vs regorafenib in patients with previously treated relapsed or refractory metastatic colorectal...
Postsurgical ctDNA Testing in Stage III Colon Cancer for Treatment De-escalation
Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was found to be a strong prognostic classifier for patients with stage III colon cancer following surgery, according to findings from the phase II/III DYNAMIC-III trial. Findings from the study presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025 ...
Risk of Colorectal Subsequent Malignant Neoplasms in Childhood Cancer Survivors
In a Childhood Cancer Survivor Study analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Owens et al identified the risks of colorectal subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs) associated with colorectal-specific radiotherapy (RT) doses and chemotherapy doses among 5-year survivors of childhood...
Study Identifies Rectal Bleeding as Key Predictor of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
In individuals younger than age 50 undergoing a colonoscopy, greater odds for having colorectal cancer were observed among those who presented with rectal bleeding, according to findings from a study presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2025 and published in the...
Antidepressants May Improve Surgical Outcomes in Patients With GI Cancer and Depression
New research revealed that depression can impact surgical outcomes, making it more difficult for patients to recover from surgery, thus leading to higher postoperative costs as well. In patients with gastrointestinal cancers and depression who were undergoing surgery specifically, antidepressants...
CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy May Be Effective in Treating Resistant Ulcerative Colitis
Studies show that individuals diagnosed with ulcerative colitis have approximately a twofold increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with the general population. A study investigating treatment with autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting the CD19 antigen in a...
Impact of HER2-Receptor Status in mCRC Treated With Chemotherapy Plus Bevacizumab or Anti-EGFR Agents
In an analysis reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Germani et al identified the impact of HER2 status in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving chemotherapy plus either bevacizumab or anti-EGFR agents. Study Details The study involved data from 1,604 patients with...
Localized PI3K-Altered Colorectal Cancer: Does Low-Dose Aspirin Reduce the Risk of Recurrence?
In a Scandinavian trial (ALASCCA) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Martling et al found that low-dose aspirin reduced the risk of disease recurrence vs placebo in patients with PI3K-altered localized colorectal cancer. Study Details In the double-blind trial, patients with stage I...
Study Finds Personalized Risk Messages Had No Effect in Raising Colorectal Cancer Screening Participation
A randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of providing personalized risk information to patients and their providers about the patient’s risk for advanced colorectal neoplasia has found no difference in screening uptake with either the personalized risk messages or provider...
Addition of Sintilimab to Total Neoadjuvant Treatment in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
In a Chinese single-center phase II trial (SPRING-01) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Tian et al found that the addition of the PD-1 inhibitor sintilimab to chemotherapy following short-course radiotherapy as part of total neoadjuvant treatment significantly improved the pathologic complete...
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: PROs With Sotorasib and Panitumumab vs Standard of Care
In an analysis from the phase III CodeBreaK 300 study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Modest et al found that sotorasib and panitumumab were associated with better patient-reported outcomes (PROs) than standard of care (SOC) with trifluridine plus tipiracil or regorafenib in patients with KRAS...
Can Autoimmune Diseases Increase the Risk of Digestive System Cancer?
In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, Reizner et al highlighted bias-minimized insights into the associations between autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes, and the risk of...
Routine AI Assistance May Lead to Loss of Skills in Endoscopists, Study Shows
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist colonoscopies may be linked to a reduction in the ability of endoscopists to detect adenomas in the colon without AI assistance, according to a paper published by Budzyń et al in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. Colonoscopy...
Age Threshold for Survival Benefit of Adding Oxaliplatin to Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II and III Colorectal Cancer
In a Korean retrospective study reported in JAMA Network Open, Bong et al found that the addition of oxaliplatin to fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with an overall survival benefit in patients with stage III colorectal cancer aged ≤ 70 years but not in those aged > 70 ...
Two ACS Studies Show Colorectal Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis Have Soared in Adults Aged 45 to 49 Years
It has been widely reported that colorectal cancer incidence has been increasing among younger adults under age 50 since the mid-1990s, with a consistent annual increase of 2% among adults aged 20 to 39. This increase prompted the American Cancer Society (ACS), in 2018, and the United States...
Clinical Utility of Including ctDNA Monitoring in Standard-of-Care CRC Surveillance
Arvind N. Dasari, MD, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses data presented at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025, which showed that adding circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing to current standard of care surveillance for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) better identified patients who are appropriate candidates for metastasis-directed therapy. Reference Dasari NA, Nakamura Y, Sorscher S, et al: Clinical utility of including circulating tumor DNA monitoring in standard of care colorectal cancer surveillance. ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2025. Abstract 2O.
Study Finds Racial and Economic Segregation May Impact Advanced-Stage Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnoses
Despite advances in early cancer detection, racial and ethnic minority individuals seem to be more likely to have a late-stage diagnosis of cancers that have a recommended screening. A large study by the American Cancer Society that examined the association between neighborhood-level segregation...
Reevaluating Pathologic Complete Response as a Surrogate for Survival in Rectal Cancer
As reported in JAMA Network Open by Sugumar et al, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials comparing neoadjuvant therapies in rectal cancer showed no trial-level association between pathologic complete response and survival. “Our study’s findings suggest a recommendation ...
Association of Type 2 Diabetes With Colorectal Cancer Risk and Survival by Tumor Immunity Status
In a German population–based, matched case-control study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Wankhede et al found that type 2 diabetes (T2D) may be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and survival according to tumor immunity status. Study Details The study included 1,889 CRC...
Early ctDNA Change and Outcomes With ICI Treatment in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
In an analysis from the French SAMCO-PRODIGE 54 trial reported in JAMA Oncology, Taïeb et al examined survival outcomes associated with a change in ctDNA from baseline to 1 month after start of treatment in patients receiving ICI treatment with avelumab for deficient mismatch repair/microsatellite...
Lean Body Mass–Based Oxaliplatin Dosing and Risk of Neurotoxicity in Adjuvant Treatment of Stage III Colon Cancer
In a French phase II trial (LEANOX) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Assenat et al examined survival outcomes and oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (OIPN) risk associated with lean body mass (LBM)-based oxaliplatin dosing in the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer....
Addition of Retifanlimab to First-Line Chemotherapy in Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal
In a phase III trial (POD1UM-303/InterAACT-2) reported in The Lancet, Rao et al investigated the survival benefit of adding the PD-1 inhibitor retifanlimab to carboplatin-paclitaxel in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal. Study Details In the...
Predictive Biomarker Under Study in Colorectal Cancer
Researchers have uncovered a biomarker that may determine response to cytokine-induced killer-cell therapy and survival in patients with colorectal cancer, according to a recent study published by Li et al in The Journal of Immunology. Background Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of...
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Improving Adjuvant Chemotherapy Completion in Patients With Colon Cancer
Guest Editor’s Note: Although guidelines recommend adjuvant combination chemotherapy for patients with stage II and III colon cancer who are at high risk of disease recurrence, fewer than 50% complete treatment because of fear of adverse effects or symptom burden. The herbal formula Jianpi Bushen ...
Updated Results Confirm Benefit of Combination Regimen in BRAFV600E–Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer who receive the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib and the EGFR inhibitor cetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 (modified leucovorin, fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) vs the current standard of care (chemotherapy ± bevacizumab) may live...
Adjuvant Use of Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in DNA Mismatch Repair–Deficient Colon Cancer
For the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer with DNA mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) tumors, the addition of the checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab to standard chemotherapy significantly improved disease-free survival in the phase III ATOMIC trial. The results position this approach as a...
Order of CRC Diagnosis May Influence Survival in Patients With Multiple Malignancies
The order of colorectal cancer diagnosis seems to have a significant impact on outcomes in patients with multiple primary malignancies, according to the results of a study of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data. Findings from the study were published in the Journal of...
Colorectal Cancer Screening: CT Colonography vs Stool Testing
Computed tomography (CT) colonography demonstrated greater clinical efficacy and cost savings than stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening, according to results of a study published in Radiology. "Among the safe, minimally invasive colorectal cancer screening options, CT colonography is ...
