[First/second/third-line chemotherapy with molecular targeted drugs for colorectal cancer]

According to the Japanese Colorectal Cancer Treatment Guideline by the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum, the recommendation for recurrent colorectal cancer consists of 2 options according to the number of metastatic organs and surgical curability. In Japan, oxaliplatin was approved for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in 2005, bevacizumab was approved in 2007, cetuximab was approved in 2008. Then most of the standard regimens in western countries became available in Japan. Therefore, Japanese standard regimens in patients with recurrent colorectal cancer are considered according to the standard western regimen. This review paper introduce the major regimens in the first-, second-, and third-line settings in patients with recurrent colorectal cancer in Japan, and comments on several chemotherapy issues in Japan.