
Predicting recurrence in CRC using post-operative circulating tumour DNA
September 2023 Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) refers to the fragmen [...]
READ MOREThe non-surgical management or “watch-and-wait” approach for rectal cancer is an experimental treatment strategy that aims to safely omit invasive surgical procedures to best preserve patients’ quality of life. Findings from a recent study add to the growing body of evidence that supports the “watch-and-wait” approach in rectal cancer management.
Currently, the standard treatment for most rectal cancers in the US and Canada begins with chemoradiation given before the primary treatment (neoadjuvant chemoradiation), followed by surgery to remove the rectum and surrounding tissues, followed by chemotherapy given after the primary treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells (adjuvant chemotherapy).
The “watch-and-wait” or “watchful waiting” approach begins with chemoradiation followed by strict patient surveillance to monitor cancer recurrence for a determined period of time. Surgical removal of the rectum and surrounding tissues is not performed, therefore avoiding potential life-changing side effects including loss of control bowel movements and bladder function, sexual dysfunction, and the strong possibility of requiring a permanent colostomy. Senior study investigator Vikram Attaluri, MD, notes that while rectal cancer surgery is very good for a cure, the side effects can have a massive impact on a patient’s quality of life: “…someone could be living with a bag outside their body for the rest of their life…Some patients have indicated they would rather live with cancer.”
In order for patients to be eligible for “watch-and-wait”, they must achieve a complete clinical response, or have no visible tumour several months after their initial chemoradiation therapy. Dr. Attaluri says that the number of rectal cancer patients that qualify may be less than 20%, though this percentage is on the rise as more patients receive more effective neoadjuvant treatments.
Based on their findings, the investigators suggest that the watch-and-wait approach appears to be the safest among patients with stages I and II rectal cancer. Patients with stage III rectal cancer experienced higher mortality rates after 3 years, with the exception of those that received oxaliplatin-based intravenous chemotherapy. Rectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended to confirm a complete treatment response. Despite being considered an experimental treatment approach, some specialists in colorectal surgery suggest that there is sufficient evidence to support the use of this alternative approach among eligible patients.
Watch-and-wait surveillance includes monitoring every 3 months for the first 2 years after initial chemoradiation therapy, then every 6 months for the next 3 years, and then annually thereafter.
Take home message:
The non-surgical or “watch-and-wait” approach to rectal cancer management may be a viable, quality of life-preserving alternative for patients with no visible remaining tumours following initial treatment with chemoradiation therapy.
September 2023 Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) refers to the fragmen [...]
READ MORESeptember 2023 After a cancer diagnosis, the impact of exercise on [...]
READ MORELearning that you have metastatic cancer can be a physically and emoti [...]
READ MOREAugust 2023 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved [...]
READ MOREAugust 2023 A recent study demonstrated that a liver transplant pro [...]
READ MOREIf you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you know that it [...]
READ MOREJuly 2023 Fruquintinib is a small molecule inhibitor of the vascula [...]
READ MOREJuly 2023 Phase III studies have shown the advantage of combining c [...]
READ MOREA recent analysis from the PROSPECT trial examined trends in patient-r [...]
READ MOREThe DESTINY-CRC01 trial was one of the first studies to show that the [...]
READ MORESome forms of stress are not harmful to our body such as the stress we [...]
READ MOREMay 2023 Recent data presented at Digestive Disease Week in Chicago [...]
READ MOREMay 2023 A patient navigator helps patients through the healthcare [...]
READ MOREAttending a medical appointment can be daunting for some people. It is [...]
READ MOREApril 2023 A recent study published in JAMA Oncology found that amo [...]
READ MOREApril 2023 A recent study published in JAMA Network Open showed tha [...]
READ MOREMarch 2023 - Results from a phase I study presented at the American So [...]
READ MOREMarch 2023 -A German study published in BMC Cancer explored the emotio [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2023 There is increasing evidence to support the use of cir [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2023 Findings from the phase III SUNLIGHT trial were presente [...]
READ MORELocations: BC, AB, ON, QC Status: currently recruiting Trial descr [...]
READ MORENovember 2022 A new study involving patients with different cancer [...]
READ MORENovember 2022 To better understand the role of the gut microbiome i [...]
READ MOREOctober 2022 A recent study published in the Journal of the Nationa [...]
READ MOREEarlier this month, controversial news headlines emerged: “Colonoscopi [...]
READ MORELocation: Canada-wide Status: Currently recruiting Trial Descrip [...]
READ MOREFindings from the global FRESCO-2 trial showed that a drug called fruq [...]
READ MOREFindings from a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology de [...]
READ MOREUlcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affect [...]
READ MORECrohn’s disease is a chronic (long-term) inflammatory disease that can [...]
READ MOREIn this Q&A, Dr. Brandon Sheffield, Pathologist with the William O [...]
READ MOREIn this Q&A, Suzanne Zwicker, Clinical Pharmacist on the National [...]
READ MOREJuly 2022 The annual ESMO World Congress on Gastrointestinal (GI) C [...]
READ MOREJuly 2022 Patients who have colorectal cancer that has spread to th [...]
READ MOREJune 2022 Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a term that refers to cance [...]
READ MOREMay 2022. Image source: https://www.whathealth.com/breastcancer/her2rec [...]
READ MOREMay 2022 The KEYNOTE-177 trial is a landmark study in colorectal ca [...]
READ MOREApril 2022. A new study from Australia found that heavy drinking in [...]
READ MOREApril 2022. A study published in JAMA Network Open investigated whe [...]
READ MOREMarch 2022. While obesity is a known risk factor for colorectal can [...]
READ MOREhttps://youtu.be/-Oi2jBJDUNc February 2022. Join Patient Support Spe [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2022 Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a standard approach [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2022 Oxaliplatin is an important intravenous chemotherapy d [...]
READ MOREJanuary 2022. Laura Ferguson, a current ileostomy patient, and Karen Br [...]
READ MOREJoin Chana, our Patient Support Specialist, as she sits down to a cand [...]
READ MOREJoin Dr. Scott Berry, Professor & Department Head, Department of O [...]
READ MORELeft: Laura A. Dawson, MD, FRCPC, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/Univ [...]
READ MOREThis month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared an investig [...]
READ MOREIn 2016, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (U [...]
READ MOREIn 2020, Jason was diagnosed with stage 3b colorectal cancer at age 36. In [...]
READ MOREDr. Megan Bernard, naturopathic doctor, discusses a variety of tips and su [...]
READ MORENutritionist Jill Haverstock discusses a variety of tips and suggestions t [...]
READ MOREDr. Mel Borins is a family practitioner based in Toronto, Ontario. He crea [...]
READ MOREJason Abramovitch is an early age onset stage 3b colon cancer survivor who [...]
READ MOREOn December 3rd 2021, Physiotherapist Thi Tran gave a compelling session o [...]
READ MORENovember 2021 Findings from a recent study published in JAMA Networ [...]
READ MORENovember 2021 Findings from phase II of the CheckMate-142 trial sho [...]
READ MOREThe EPOCH trial is the first phase III international study evaluating the [...]
READ MOREImmunotherapy has revolutionized the way cancer is treated by boosting [...]
READ MOREColorectal (CRC) cancer screening and diagnosis during the COVID-19 pa [...]
READ MOREA Swedish population study published this month in the Journal of the [...]
READ MOREAdjuvant (post-surgical) chemotherapy is useful in reducing the risk o [...]
READ MOREThe fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a widely used colorectal cancer [...]
READ MORENew findings from a study presented at the European Society for Medica [...]
READ MOREWhile many different risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC) have bee [...]
READ MOREFindings from a recent study show that multigene panel testing of patients [...]
READ MOREThe final recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Ta [...]
READ MOREPeriodontal disease (PD) is a set of inflammatory conditions that affect t [...]
READ MOREThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the market [...]
READ MOREWe've posted some new recipe videos on our sister site, Foods that Fight C [...]
READ MOREThe Ontario Cancer Research Institute (OICR) held a conference on Tran [...]
READ MOREApril is Diversity Month dedicated to celebrating and honouring all in [...]
READ MOREResults from a systematic review published in JAMA Oncology found that [...]
READ MOREA study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Precision Oncology s [...]
READ MOREMolecular profiling in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer has been named by [...]
READ MOREYour physical, emotional and mental well-being are vital to your ability t [...]
READ MORENew findings from the University of Alberta published in the Journal of th [...]
READ MOREFindings from a recent study presented at the 2021 Gastrointestinal Ca [...]
READ MOREColorectal cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in Canada. Twent [...]
READ MORE10 December 2020Findings from a recent study showed that people who regula [...]
READ MORE22 December 2020 Hepatic Artery Infusion (HAI) chemotherapy is sometime [...]
READ MORENovember 2020 Findings from a recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic [...]
READ MOREThe incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is rising among young adults, who [...]
READ MOREOpportunity to Investigate the Microbiome’s Impact on Science and Treatmen [...]
READ MORENew findings from a study conducted at the University of Sheffield in [...]
READ MORESexuality and relationships during and after cancer is extremely impor [...]
READ MOREChadwick Boseman’s death from colorectal cancer (CRC) at age 43 was a shoc [...]
READ MOREToday, Wednesday September 30th, is World Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Day [...]
READ MOREDr. Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, discusses optimal sequencing strategies for [...]
READ MOREThe European Society for Medical Oncology ESMO Virtual Congress 2020 t [...]
READ MOREJesse Fishman is a 17-year-old hockey player, currently playing for the Ki [...]
READ MORE12 August 2020 Recent findings from a Swedish cohort study found that p [...]
READ MOREIt was the day of the lockdown. My family doctor called. “The colorectal c [...]
READ MOREFill out the survey! The world was shocked late last week as we learned a [...]
READ MOREPrevious data have shown that certain species of intestinal bacteria not o [...]
READ MOREAs we transition into autumn, take a moment to appreciate the seasonal pro [...]
READ MOREThe COVID-19 pandemic has presented countless new challenges in cancer car [...]
READ MOREThe COVID-19 pandemic situation is constantly evolving. Canada is slowly r [...]
READ MOREResults of several new studies provide important perspectives on the use o [...]
READ MOREIn the past two years, findings from important clinical trials are shaping [...]
READ MOREHold the Date! On behalf of Colorectal Cancer Canada (CCC), you are cordi [...]
READ MOREWhat is Lynch Syndrome? Lynch syndrome is a genetically inherited conditi [...]
READ MORECoronavirus has taken the world by storm since the beginning of 2020, and [...]
READ MORETo ensure the health and safety of our participants, volunteers, staff and [...]
READ MOREThe American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held its annual meeting a [...]
READ MOREIn just a few months, coronavirus (COVID-19) has transformed our lives. De [...]
READ MOREIt has been known for millennia that what we eat can be powerful medicine [...]
READ MOREThe last few decades have seen important advances in colorectal cancer tre [...]
READ MORECo-leads of Push For Your Tush Ottawa share their connection to the cause [...]
READ MOREThe Centre de recherche of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbro [...]
READ MOREOn June 24, 2019, colorectal cancer screening in Ontario is changing to th [...]
READ MOREToday we remember Dr. Henry Lynch, esteemed researcher and father of hered [...]
READ MOREOn Tuesday, July 16, Colorectal Cancer Canada (CCC) held our third annual [...]
READ MOREResearchers with the World Health Organization confirm increased rates of [...]
READ MORELast Thursday and Friday, Morgan Kennedy, CCC’s Never Too Young Program Ma [...]
READ MOREColorectal Cancer Canada (CCC) is proud to announce the publication of the [...]
READ MOREToday, the Giant Colon Tour stopped at the University of Montreal Hospital [...]
READ MOREMost people do not know that cancer is the number one cause of death among [...]
READ MOREMarch is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month! Colorectal cancer may touch yo [...]
READ MORE