Colorectal Clinical Trials: What is on the Horizon?

ABSTRACT

Substantial progress has been made in the treatment of colorectal cancer, where more effective therapies have led to improved outcomes in patients with advanced disease. However, the 5-year overall survival rate remains poor. Genomic sequencing has allowed us to understand that colorectal cancer is a heterogeneous disease, where tumor-specific variants affect the prognosis and outcomes in patients. This has shaped the future directions of treatment and the development of clinical trials, including the incorporation of novel targeted therapies and investigations into the role of immunotherapy in colorectal cancer.

KEYWORDS:

• colorectal cancer
• immunotherapy
• next-generation sequencing
• targeted therapy

Financial & competing interests disclosure

RM Goldberg has research support to The Ohio State University to conduct clinical trials and serves as a paid consultant to Merck for the development of pembrolizumab in gastrointestinal cancers. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.