Dr. Strickler on the Need for Chemotherapy-Free Options in Third-Line Metastatic CRC

John H. Strickler, MD, medical oncologist, Duke Cancer Center, Duke Health, discusses the need for additional chemotherapy-free options in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Patients with mCRC have multiple treatment options available in the third- and later-line setting, including trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102; Lonsurf) and regorafenib (Stivarga), says Strickler. However, these therapies confer modest benefit and are associated with a high risk of toxicity, Strickler explains. Therefore, novel therapies are needed to further the paradigm, Strickler adds.

However, developing new therapies for this setting is challenging because patients are heavily pretreated and can have a low tolerance for adverse effects, says Strickler. As such, identifying novel chemotherapy-free options could provide benefit and decrease the risk of toxicity for these patients, Strickler explains. Moreover, in addition to prolonging survival, patients have the potential to have improved quality of life, which is particularly important in the later-line settings in mCRC, concludes Strickler.