Actualización del cáncer colorrectal

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the most common tumor in Spain and is the second leading cause of death due to cancer after lung cancer. There are well-established risk factors for tumor development, including hereditary syndromes, inflammatory bowel disease, and obesity. The initial clinical symptoms and early detection campaigns make it possible to diagnose this cancer in curable stages in many patients. In localized tumors, surgery is still considered the curative treatment for the disease, although recurrence occurs in a high percentage of patients, which justifies the indication of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies. Certain novel strategies, such as intensive follow-up without surgery in localized rectal cancer, have been gaining momentum in recent years, so a change in the future outlook is predicted. In metastatic disease, treatment with chemotherapy, the addition of biologic therapies, immunotherapy in select patients, and salvage surgery achieve long survival times of up to 30–36 months in patients.