Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancer

  • Kyle Holen
  • Leonard B. Saltz
Chapter
Part of the Current Clinical Oncology book series (CCO)

Abstract

The risk of clinical failure following a potentially curative resection of colon cancer is not the result of an actual reoccurrence of a de novo colon cancer but rather of the clinical progression of previously undetected metastatic disease. At the time of resection, small, undetectable areas of disease may be present that will grow and be identifiable only at a later date. Patients who do not have residual microscopic metastases are cured by their operation alone, yet those who have untreated residual microscopic metastases would be expected to eventually be diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Key components of effective adjuvant therapies are the identification of those patients with residual micrometastases and the discovery of better ways to eliminate residual disease.

Keywords

Colon Cancer Adjuvant Therapy National Surgical Adjuvant Breast North Central Cancer Treatment Group Gastrointestinal Tumor Study Group 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2002

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kyle Holen
  • Leonard B. Saltz

There are no affiliations available

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