Metastatic colorectal cancer: is there one standard approach?

Overview

Despite enormous advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer, there is no single standard treatment approach for all patients. However, there are general principles of management that can be used to guide therapy. The clinician who fails to individualize therapy for colorectal cancer is likely not taking full advantage of all therapeutic options available. Reviewing key clinical evidence that can help inform decision-making, this article addresses important questions in colorectal cancer management, including: Should bevacizumab (Avastin) be a component of most patients' first-line treatment? Is there a role for continuing bevacizumab in subsequent regimens? Is there a role for cetuximab (Erbitux) in standard first-line chemotherapy? Are there practices in colorectal cancer that have become widely accepted without direct supportive data?