Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies / Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments · Journal article

An updated review of colorectal cancer: Disease mechanisms, global burden, and novel treatment approaches

Ip International Journal of Comprehensive and Advanced Pharmacology · August 8, 2026

Expert Guidance Why this matters to you Expert discussion

A consensus or society position rather than new primary data.

AI Summary

This is an updated narrative review of colorectal cancer pathophysiology, epidemiology, and treatment approaches. It synthesizes current knowledge of conventional and emerging therapies (monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, ctDNA-guided therapy, organoid-based testing, and AI-assisted diagnosis) but does not report original trial data or comparative evidence.

What was studied

Narrative review. Colorectal cancer patients globally; discussion of epidemiology across geographic regions..

Key findings

CRC arises from genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors driving malignant transformation Incidence varies geographically, higher in developed countries but rapidly increasing in developing nations Conventional chemotherapy (fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, irinotecan) limited by toxicity and drug resistance

Safety

Conventional chemotherapy (fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, irinotecan) limited by toxicity and drug resistance

Who this may help

This review provides a structured overview of CRC management options suitable for updating clinical knowledge. Readers should consult primary trial evidence and guidelines for specific treatment recommendations, as this source does not report outcome data or comparative efficacy.

Plain-language summary

A narrative review synthesizing current knowledge of CRC pathophysiology, epidemiology, and treatment modalities, intended to update clinicians on diagnostic and therapeutic landscape rather than report original evidence.

Study design

As stated by the source record.

MethodsNarrative review

Clinical bottom line

Caveats

No quantitative outcome data, effect sizes, or confidence intervals reported
No comparative evidence or head-to-head trial results presented
No explicit methodology for literature selection, appraisal, or synthesis described
Emerging approaches (ctDNA-guided therapy, organoid testing, AI diagnosis) described as innovations without supporting trial data or clinical validation evidence

Evidence assessment

Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.

Study design

insufficient

Review article; no primary data collection or experimental design reported.

Directness

moderate

Covers established treatment modalities and emerging approaches relevant to clinical practice.

Consistency

insufficient

Source does not report comparative data across studies or analysis of agreement.

Risk of bias

insufficient

No methodology for study selection, appraisal, or bias assessment described.

Sample adequacy

insufficient

Narrative synthesis; no quantitative pooling or sample size assessment applicable.

What is missing. This record has no reported figures. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.

Source abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, posing a significant public health challenge. The disease arises from a complex interplay of genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and lifestyle-related factors that drive the transformation of normal colonic epithelium into malignant tumours. The pathophysiology of CRC involves progressive molecular alterations, including chromosomal instability, microsatellite instability, and CpG island methylator phenotype, leading to dysregulation of critical signalling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, EGFR, PI3K/AKT, and TGF-β. Epidemiologically, CRC incidence varies across geographic regions, with higher prevalence in developed countries, although rapidly increasing trends are observed in developing nations due to changes in diet, physical inactivity, obesity, and aging populations.Treatment strategies for CRC depend on disease stage and include surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. Conventional chemotherapeutic regimens such as fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan remain the cornerstone of management; however, their clinical utility is often limited by toxicity and drug resistance. Recent advances have led to the development of innovative therapeutic approaches, including monoclonal antibodies targeting EGFR and VEGF pathways, immune checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, and mutation-selective small-molecule inhibitors. Emerging strategies such as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA)-guided therapy, liquid biopsy, microbiome-targeted intervention, organoid-based drug testing, and artificial-intelligence-assisted diagnosis are reshaping the diagnostic and therapeutic landscape. This review provides a critical, updated overview of the pathophysiology, epidemiology, current treatment modalities, and recent innovations in CRC management, highlighting comparative evidence, limitations, and future directions for improved diagnosis and patient-centred care.

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Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.

Shyamala VantakuColorectal Cancer Treatments and StudiesK Eswar KumarColorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments