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Many colon cancer patients are treated with ineffective drugs

Category: Colon

Following a positive colorectal cancer test, most patients would say that they are willing to undergo nearly any therapy to kill the tumor. However, a new investigation out of the University of Chicago indicates that many individuals are receiving treatments for the condition that will not benefit them and are not recommended for the treatment of colon cancer.

The researchers behind the study said that this could put patients at risk for many treatment-related complications and also drives up the cost of treating cancer.

For the study, the team examined the medical records of more than 1,000 individuals who developed metastatic colon cancer. The data showed that 13 percent of these individuals were given forms of chemotherapy that are not approved for treating colon cancer either due to a lack of evidence to support their use or because they have been proven to be ineffective.

"Patients should not face the risks, discomforts and costs of aggressive and often quite toxic chemotherapy with treatment regimens that did not provide a benefit in previous studies." said Jonas De Souza, who led the study.