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First line chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer: importance of the tumoral response Volume 18, supplement 1, Mai-Juin 2011

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Authors
CHU de Saint-Étienne, service d’hépatogastroentérologie et d’oncologie digestive, 42055 Saint-Étienne Cedex 2, France

The importance of the tumoral response for potentially resectable metastasis undergoing chemotherapy is not controversial. This tumoral response is more and more becoming an up-to-date goal for unresectable metastasis when maintenance therapy or treatment-free periods are considered. An objective response for the majority of patients can hopefully be brought by regimen combining cytotoxic chemotherapy together with targeting-biotherapies, with limited toxicity due to short course chemo-induction. These combining regimens allow the best efficiency of maintenance regimens. An early K-RAS status determination is needed to optimise the response rate when using anti-EGFR in first line metastatic colorectal cancer. Targeted therapies offer a strong rational as maintenance treatments. They are being assessed in several ongoing phase III trials.