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As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Sinicrope et al, the phase III ATOMIC trial has shown that the addition of adjuvant atezolizumab to mFOLFOX6 (modified fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin) improved disease-free survival in patients with resected stage III mismatch...
Biomarker discovery in colorectal cancer has traditionally focused on identifying molecular alterations with broad prognostic or predictive utility. However, evidence is increasingly suggesting that biomarkers do not have universal prognostic or predictive value across patient sets but instead...
Findings from the American Cancer Society's triennial report, Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, show that rates of colorectal cancer are decreasing in older adults; however, rates of colorectal cancer incidence in younger adults continue to increase, with a greater proportion of these cancers...
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that detect molecular biomarker status from histologic images may be dependent upon correlational relationships with clinicopathologic features, preventing the models from learning the true causal effect of the biomarker, according to findings published in Nature...
In a new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Johnson et al reported that an automated artificial intelligence (AI) pipeline using large language models (LLMs) can accurately stratify future risk of advanced neoplasia in patients with colitis-associated low-grade dysplasia....
On February 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted traditional approval to the kinase inhibitor encorafenib (Braftovi) in combination with cetuximab and fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with a BRAF V600E mutation, ...
In an English population–based study reported in The Lancet Oncology, Maringe et al found that inequalities in provision of minimally invasive surgical resection of colon cancer may be associated with poorer patient outcomes. Study Details The study involved data from patients diagnosed with stage...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Kanemitsu et al, long-term results of the Japanese phase II/III JCOG0603 trial showed that the addition of adjuvant mFOLFOX6 to hepatectomy did not improve overall survival vs hepatectomy alone in patients with liver-only metastases from colorectal ...
The addition of the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib and the EGFR antibody cetuximab to chemotherapy with FOLFIRI (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and irinotecan) in the first-line treatment of BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer led to a significant improvement in overall response rate—compared...
Pfizer has announced positive topline progression-free survival results from cohort 3, a separate randomized cohort of the pivotal BREAKWATER trial, evaluating encorafenib in combination with cetuximab and FOLFIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan) in patients with previously untreated...
Patients in rural areas who received surgery locally for their lung or colon cancer had comparable surgical outcomes and mortality rates to patients who underwent surgery in an urban facility, according to the results of an analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons....
In the phase III COMMIT trial, a regimen combining atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and standard chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival and response rates over atezolizumab monotherapy in patients with previously untreated mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite...
As reported in JAMA Network Open by Awan et al, both histopathologic and demographic factors show distinct time-dependent associations with colorectal adenoma recurrence in postpolypectomy surveillance. In this retrospective cohort study, high-grade dysplasia demonstrated the strongest association...
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Sinicrope et al found that a tissue-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay had strong prognostic value in patients receiving FOLFOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin)-based adjuvant therapy for stage III colorectal cancer. Study...
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 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....
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,...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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)...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...