Refractory metastatic colorectal cancer: challenges and solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers in terms of prevalence and mortality. Almost 1/4 of patients with CRC have metastases at the initial presentation. The survival rate of this group of patients remains low. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients have faced difficulties in getting diagnosis or treatment, which could potentially lead to an increase in late-stage tumors and mortality. This situation required changes in approaches to the treatment of cancer patients, such as replacing drugs with tablet forms, schemes with long intervals, and much more. It is known that about 50% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer survive in satisfactory condition until the 3rd line drug therapy or longer. One of the main drugs for this category of patients is regorafenib, which, thanks to the tablet formulation, has become especially important in the COVID-19 pandemic. In numerous clinical studies, the drug showed an increase in patient overall survival and good safety profile. In addition, there is growing evidence of the effect of regorafenib on tumor sensitivity to treatment with platinum drugs, irinotecan, and EGFR inhibitors.

About the authors

Marina I. Sekacheva

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Author for correspondence.
Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0015-7094

D. Sci. (Med.), Prof.

Russian Federation, Moscow

Anastasia S. Fatyanova

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5004-8307

Cand. Sci. (Med.)

Russian Federation, Moscow

Daur A. Meretukov

Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9050-0679

Clinical Resident

Russian Federation, Moscow

Angelina V Zhilenkova

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0060-2197

Student

Russian Federation, Moscow

Aleksandr S. Rusanov

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0658-9130

Clinical Resident

Russian Federation, Moscow

Aleksandr A. Rozhkov

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6520-3031

Clinical Resident

Russian Federation, Moscow

Anastasiia A. Guryanova

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6589-2164

Student

Russian Federation, Moscow

Nikolay N. Bagmet

Petrovsky Russian Scientific Center of Surgery

Email: sekach_rab@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8325-4409

D. Sci. (Med.)

Russian Federation, Moscow

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