Dr. Saltz Discusses Chemotherapy in Metastatic CRC

Leonard Saltz, MD, executive director for Clinical Value & Sustainability, head, Colorectal Oncology Section, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

The question of chemotherapy for patients with metastatic CRC remains a complicated one, says Saltz. This is due to the plethora of options, all with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Saltz says that the first decision point when treating these patients is the cytotoxic backbone—typically FOLFOX or FOLFIRI. It is an every-other-week schedule with a 48-hour infusion of fluorouracil (5-FU) with either oxaliplatin or irinotecan. These regimens are comparable, says Saltz, but the toxicity profiles are different, and need to be discussed with the patient.