DISEASE SCANNER
Global Incurable Diseases Tracker
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Colon or rectal cancer that has spread to distant organs (liver, lung, peritoneum). Stage IV disease is generally considered incurable, though some patients with limited metastases may achieve long-term survival or cure with aggressive multimodal therapy.
900.0K
15
Symptoms
Treatment Options
Risk Factors
Diagnostic Methods
- 1Biopsy
- 2Imaging (CT, MRI, PET)
- 3Tumor markers
- 4Genetic testing
- 5Endoscopy
- 6Blood tests
- 7Screening programs
Prognosis
Untreated metastatic disease has median survival of 6-12 months. With modern chemotherapy (FOLFOX, FOLFIRI) plus biologics (bevacizumab, cetuximab), median survival extends to 30-36 months. Resectable liver/lung metastases with curative intent surgery offer 40-50% 5-year survival. MSI-H/dMMR tumors respond exceptionally to immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) with 60%+ durable responses. Peritoneal carcinomatosis has poorer prognosis (12-24 months) without HIPEC.
Prevention
- Smoking cessation
- Sun protection
- Healthy diet
- Regular exercise
- Vaccination (HPV, HBV)
- Screening programs
- Limit alcohol
- Maintain healthy weight
Research Status
Immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) highly effective for MSI-H/dMMR tumors. KRAS G12C inhibitors (adagrasib, sotorasib) approved. EGFR inhibitors (cetuximab, panitumumab) for RAS wild-type. Liver resection/ablation for limited metastases.
Affected Countries
Sources
- https://www.cancer.gov
- https://www.who.int/cancer
- https://www.cancer.org
Medical Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult healthcare professionals for medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment.