New directions in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer

As the chemotherapy horizons have expanded in colorectal cancer with development of oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) and irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar), so too have our approaches to therapy. Numerous immunotherapy and gene therapy approaches are undergoing initial study. These methods are founded on increased knowledge of tumor biology. That same knowledge has led to the identification of new molecular targets for anticancer chemical therapies. This article highlights some of these developments with focus on epidermal growth factor receptor and angiogenesis.