Dr. Atreya Discusses Maintenance Therapy for CRC

Chloe E. Atreya, MD, PhD, assistant clinical professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses maintenance therapy for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Although there is no standard of care maintenance therapy for patients with CRC, guidelines have suggested some strategies that may work in select patients. The NCCN guidelines highlight certain studies that have shown a progression-free survival benefit with maintenance strategies that include either fluorouracil (5-FU) or capecitabine with or without bevacizumab (Avastin).

Overall survival benefit was not significant with either the 5-FU or capecitabine maintenance regimens, Atreya says, so the jury is still out. Additionally, Atreya says that a new study has shown that bevacizumab alone is no better than observation. Maintenance therapy for patients with CRC remains a personalized decision, Atreya concludes.