Current Approaches, Challenges, and Future Perspectives in Colorectal Cancer Therapeutics and Integrated Care

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies and a key reason for the increase in the number of cancer-related deaths experienced all over the world, making it a serious global health concern. The approach for CRC is multidimensional managing the factors such as the tumor burden, molecular markers, and factors that are specific to the patient. The primary treatment for early-stage CRC is still the surgical removal of the tumor, and the adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended on the basis of the pathological staging, lymph node involvement, and the features that are high-risk. When it comes to mCRC, the treatment’s initial objectives are to extend the patient life and to maintain the quality of life with the help of systemic treatments, localized interventions, and personalized strategies. In this review, we will present the cutting-edge technologies that have emerged and the contention that came up in CRC treatment, including the use of surgical methods, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy (e.g., anti-EGFR, anti-VEGF agents), immunotherapy (particularly for mismatch repair-deficient tumors), and the introduction of gene therapy and novel combinations of drugs which are still at the research stage are also discussed.