Colorectal Cancer: Targeted and Immunotherapies
Targeted and Immunotherapies for Colorectal Cancer
This section covers the following topics:
What is ?
Immunotherapies are cancer treatments that help the body’s immune system detect and attack cancer cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy used to treat several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Some cancer cells can switch off the immune system. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that prevent this from happening. This allows the immune system to find, unmask and destroy cancer cells.
Which immunotherapies are used for colorectal cancer?
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are often used to treat advanced or colorectal cancer that are MSI-H or dMMR; usually after other treatments have been tried. The most common immune checkpoint inhibitors used for colorectal cancer are:
- Jemperli (dostarlimab)
- Keytruda (pembrolizumab)
- Opdivo (nivolumab)
- Yervoy (ipilimumab)
The immunotherapy drug, dostarlimab may be used for early (stage 2 or stage 3) rectal cancer to shrink tumors before surgery. The use of dostarlimab in this setting is not yet approved, and is considered off-label. However, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) expert panel for colorectal cancer has added this indication to their treatment guidelines.
Researchers are studying new ways to use immunotherapies to treat colorectal cancer. Visit our Featured Research section for more information.
Immunotherapy side effects
Like any medication, immunotherapy can come with side effects. Most are manageable, but some can be serious or even life threatening. You can learn more about on our Immunotherapy Side Effects page.
What is ?
Targeted therapies are treatments designed to attack or kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells as much as possible. These therapies are often designed to target abnormal proteins, receptors or genes that are found in high quantities in cancer cells or the surrounding tissue. Tumor testing can help doctors identify the patients most likely to benefit from a targeted therapy.
Which targered therapies are used for colorectal cancer?
Several targeted therapies are used to treat advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. Common targeted therapies used in colorectal cancer include:
- Anti VEGF therapies block tumors from forming blood vessels. Anti VEGF drugs used to treat colorectal cancer include:
- Avastin (bevacizumab)
- Cyramza (ramucirumab)
- Fruzaqla (fruquintinib)
- Zaltrap (ziv-aflibercept)
- Anti EGFR therapies slow down tumor cell growth. Anti EGFR drugs used to treat colorectal cancer include:
- Erbitux (cetuximab)
- Vectibix (panitumumab)
- Anti-HER2 therapies are used for people with advanced colorectal cancer when tumor testing shows a biomarker called .
- Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan)
- Herceptin (trastuzumab)
- Tukysa (tucatinib)
- Stivarga (regorafenib) blocks several different types of proteins in the body that tumors use to grow. Stivarga may be used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer that has come back after treatment with other drugs.
- Retevmo (selpercatinib) is a targeted therapy that is used to treat advanced cancers with a rare mutation known as a RET gene fusion. RET gene fusions are rare in colorectal cancer.
- Vitrakvi (larotrectinib) is approved for treatment of advanced cancers that have worsened with other treatments. It targets a genetic change called an NTRK fusion. This type of genetic change is rare in colon cancers.
Speak with your doctor if you have advanced colorectal cancer and you are not sure if you had biomarker testing, or if you don't understand your test results.
Researchers are studying new ways to use targeted therapies to treat colorectal cancer. Visit our Featured Research section for more information.
Targeted therapy side effects
Like any medication, targeted therapy can come with side effects. Most are manageable, but some can be serious or even life threatening. You can learn more about on our Targeted Therapy Side Effects page.
In the News
Study : Two immunotherapy drugs are better than one for some metastatic colorectal cancers
Combining two immunotherapy drugs is a more effective treatment for certain metastatic colorectal cancers than using either treatment drug alone....
Participate in Research
New Treatment in People with Triple Negative Breast Cancer or Advanced Solid Tumors
Study of a new drug called ONM-501 for people with triple negative breast cancer, advanced solid tumors or lymphomas
The Phoenix Trial: Cemiplimab for Patients with Localized dMMR Colon Cancer
This study will examine the effectiveness and safety of cemiplimab, a treatment given prior to surgery. Participants will undergo endoscopy...
The usual care after a person with stage 3 colon cancer has had surgery and chemotherapy is to begin active...
Treatment of HER2-positive Colorectal Cancer as First Line Treatment in the Metastatic Setting
This study is being done to decide if the drug Tukysa (Tucatinib) combined with other cancer drugs works better than...
