THE NEED FOR A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH IN THE TREATMENT OF ADVANCED COLORECTAL-CANCER - A CRITICAL-REVIEW FROM A MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST AND SURGEON

Over the last IO Sears important advances have been made in the treatm ent of patients with advanced colorectal cancer, particularly with sur gery either alone or in combination with radiotherapy. Furthermore, de spite early scepticism, several chemotherapy studies have now reported significant clinical benefits with 5-FU-based regimens and promising results have also been reported with newer agents such as raltitrexed and irinotecan. Taken together these advances now enable a significant proportion of patients to undergo treatment which will improve their quality of life, prolong survival and even result in cure in certain e ases. Patients with advanced colorectal cancer can only benefit from t hese important advances, however, if a truly multidisciplinary approac h to patient care is adopted,which requires integration of the roles o f the surgeon, medical oncologist and radiotherapist.