Biologics in bowel cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and second leading cause of cancer death with over 50,000 patients expected to die from their disease in 2017. For patients who present at diagnosis with advanced disease the standard treatment is systemic chemotherapy. Over the last decade a number of biologic therapies have emerged as viable treatment options for advance colorectal cancer. When these new drugs are combined with chemotherapy survival is prolonged, often without a detriment to quality of life. In this chapter we will review the most active biologic options for treatment of colorectal cancer and place them in the context of a rapidly growing field.