Patients undergoing treatment at Pottstown Memorial Regional Cancer Center (PMRCC) for metastatic colorectal cancer have more treatment options due to the availability of new drugs called “targeted therapies.”

“We’ve progressed in the last three years because of new targeting agents such as Avastin®, Erbitux® and VectibixTM and the availability of additional chemotherapy drugs,” notes Frank W. Song, MD, PhD, co-medical director of PMRCC.

Targeted therapies do not replace chemotherapy, but rather they are administered concurrently and show effectiveness with slowing or shrinking tumor growth or prolonging survival. They work by stopping or blocking cancerous cells from spreading by targeting specific molecular changes or certain proteins of cancerous cells. Unlike chemotherapy, they do not destroy healthy cells that cause hair loss, nausea and vomiting.

“Another improvement for our colorectal cancer patients is that treatment schedules have changed from daily or weekly regimens to the use of continuous infusion pumps,” adds Dr. Song. After initiating treatment at PMRCC, patients continue treatment at home via an ambulatory pump in coordination with the hospital’s Home Care program. Nationally, every year about 150,000 new patients are diagnosed with colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs in the body. At PMRCC, about 75 people are diagnosed each year. Screening for colorectal cancer is recommended beginning at age 50 or at age 40 for people with a family history of the disease. Most newly diagnosed patients in the Pottstown area did not undergo a screening colonoscopy. Educational sessions are underway to promote awareness of the importance of early screening and detection.