Regional and systemic chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer

Progress in regional arterial infusion therapy for metastatic cancer confined to the liver from colorectal primary and in systemic chemotherapy for widespread disease has been limited. Despite considerable search for effective antitumor agents, only few drugs have been shown to have efficacy to warrant additional evaluation alone or in multidrug regimens. Despite high response rates reported with regional therapy and some of the systemic chemotherapy regimens, significant prolongation of the overall survival on these treatment programs remains to be documented. Although chemotherapy for advanced large bowel cancer is only moderately effective at present, patients do obtain substantial benefit occasionally. Thus, chemotherapy should be attempted and there should be trials of new treatment regimens to find effective treatments for these patients.