Irinotecan in the treatment of colorectal cancer. A literature review

Abstract

In 1998, oncologists got a brand new antitumor drug – irinotecan. It’s been already 18 years since its approval for second-line polychemotherapy of metastatic colorectal cancer. Indications for irinotecan use were significantly expanded since that time; it is now used in combination with other therapeutic agents for first- or second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with targeted drugs or separately; there are some studies assessing the use of irinotecan in neoadjuvant therapy. The article describes the history and modern schemes of irinotecan administration in treatment of colorectal cancer.

Keywords

• colorectal cancer
• irinotecan
• first-line therapy
• second-line therapy