Colorectal Cancer News

Two New Drugs Bring Hope for Stage IV Patients

The recent FDA approval of Stivarga (regorafanib) and Zaltrap (ziv-aflibercept) marks a milestone in the treatment of colon cancer. After waiting more than six years for something new, we have seen not one, but two colon cancer-fighting drugs emerge within the past two months.

This is, without a doubt, a great victory for the colon cancer community.

Both Stivarga and Zaltrap offer a new hope for patients who have exhausted all other options, as is so often the case for those stage IV patients whose cancer has spread beyond the colon.

What is even more exciting is that these recent approvals are evidence that colon cancer research is heading in the right direction.

But patients and their families are counting on a continued stream of new options. In order to continue the progress we’re making, it is critical that more patients enroll in research studies and clinical trials.

Patients Drive Progress: Clinical Trials

Patients can change the future of colon cancer and receive the highest quality of care by participating in these studies. As CCA Board Member and trial participant Kevin Lewis puts it, "When I first heard about clinical trials, I envisioned a 'mad scientist' in a laboratory with test tubes and white rats. The reality is totally different." Patients who enroll in clinical trials are always given, at minimum, the current standard of care, regardless of what new treatments are being tested.

Most importantly, clinical trials and research studies are the next hope for those still battling colon cancer.

Find the Right Trial for You

The CCA is committed to connecting patients with the cutting-edge research emerging through these studies. If you’re looking to enroll in a study, the CCA’s Clinical Trial Matching Service is the ideal place to start, and makes it easy to find the option that is right for you.

There are clinical trials for patients in all phases of treatment, including trials that are studying how to lessen side effects, and even trials for those who are no longer in active treatment.

This critical research cannot go on without continued participation from patients and survivors. Together, we can forge ahead in the fight against colon cancer.

For more information about these two new drugs or our Clinical Trials Matching Service, call our free Helpline at (877) 422-2030.

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