Treatment of colorectal cancer
Report of the Eastern Canadian Colorectal Cancer Consensus Conference 2005 Ottawa, Ontario, September 29–October 1, 2005

Corresponding author: Derek J. Jonker, MD, FRCPC

Editor’s note: Over the last decade combination therapies have contributed significantly to progress in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. In adjuvant treatment, data in the last 3 years have increasingly demonstrated the efficacy of new chemotherapy combinations, so that several options are now available to manage Stage II–III colon cancers. These options are associated, however, with new toxicities and increasing costs. Optimizing therapy requires selection of the most effective combination tailored to a patient’s needs. The Eastern Consensus Conference in Colorectal cancer was convened to evaluate the evidence and recommend appropriate choices tailored to a variety of clinical settings. Oncology Exchange is pleased to publish the consensus statement reached at the 2005 meeting held in Ottawa. A similar initiative in the western provinces reached the same conclusions in 2005.

This document thus presents national recommendations for the treatment of this common cancer. We hope that the dissemination of this information will assist physicians in their choice of optimal treatment for their patients. We also hope to publish such statements on a regular basis and to broaden the scope to all types of malignancies.