Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Hope From New Research
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight the importance of screening and early detection—but also to share encouraging news about advances in treatment. Over the last few years, researchers have made significant progress in understanding colorectal cancer and developing therapies that target it more precisely.
One of the most promising developments involves precision medicine, where treatments are tailored to the genetic profile of a patient’s tumor. A recent breakthrough includes the targeted drug adagrasib, which is designed to attack cancers driven by a specific KRAS mutation. In clinical trials (1), combining adagrasib with the drug cetuximab helped shrink or stabilize tumors in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, offering a new option for people whose cancers carry this mutation.
Immunotherapy—treatments that harness the body’s immune system—has also made significant strides. In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a combination of two immunotherapy drugs, nivolumab and ipilimumab, for certain colorectal cancers with specific genetic features known as MSI-H or dMMR. In clinical trials (2), about 68% of patients treated with the combination were still alive without their cancer progressing three years later, a meaningful improvement over single-drug treatment.
Researchers are also exploring new drug combinations for difficult-to-treat cancers. For example, studies presented at major oncology meetings have shown that combining targeted therapy with immunotherapy may help some patients with metastatic colorectal cancer live longer and better control their disease. (3)
Another exciting area of research focuses on biomarker-driven treatment, where doctors use genetic or molecular clues in the tumor to select therapies most likely to work. Recent trials, such as the BREAKWATER study (4), found that certain targeted combinations significantly reduced the risk of death in patients with a specific BRAF mutation, potentially reshaping treatment standards for that group.
While these breakthroughs are encouraging, early detection remains one of the most powerful tools we have. Screening tests such as colonoscopies can find precancerous polyps before they become cancer—or detect cancer when it is still highly treatable.
The message this March is both simple and hopeful: science is moving forward, bringing better tools to detect, treat, and even prevent colorectal cancer. By combining ongoing research with regular screening and awareness, the outlook for patients continues to improve.
Sources:
1. https://www.mskcc.org/news/new-colorectal-cancer-treatments-at-msk-aim-to-reduce-deaths-in-2026-and-beyond
2. https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2025/fda-nivolumab-ipilimumab-dmmr-colorectal-cancer?utm_source=chatgpt.com
3. https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/combination-immunotherapy-targeted-therapy-advanced-colorectal-cancer?utm_source=chatgpt.com
4. https://colorectalcancer.org/article/2025-asco-update-six-big-studies?utm_source=chatgpt.com