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Open research questions in Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies

72 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 286 Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • There is a need for improved diagnosis and treatment of colorectal liver metastasis. The current treatment outcomes for patients with colorectal liver metastasis are poor.

    Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of colorectal liver metastasis (2025 Edition) · 2026 · DOI

  • Colorectal cancer is a common and aggressive disease. Treatment options for metastatic colorectal cancer are limited. Aflibercept treatment can have significant side effects.

    Efficacy and Safety of Aflibercept Treatment in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Center Experience · 2026 · DOI

  • Significant heterogeneity in therapeutic response to chemotherapy. Limited understanding of the predictors of chemotherapeutic efficacy in colon cancer.

    Predictive Value of Serum Trace Elements for Chemotherapeutic Efficacy in Gastric and Colon Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Recurrence and metastasis following curative surgery for CRC significantly compromise patient prognosis. The stage IIIC subgroup requires further study to identify specific risk factors.

    Risk factors for recurrence and metastasis of stage IIIC colorectal cancer: A two-center retrospective cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • Clinical heterogeneity of colon adenocarcinoma - Limited understanding of the mechanisms of RBMS3 regulation in colorectal cancer - Need for robust biomarkers with mechanistic relevance for prognostic stratification

    RBMS3 promotes ferroptosis in colorectal cancer and is suppressed by M2 tumor-associated macrophages via STAT3 activation · 2026 · DOI

  • Secondary treatment resistance to anti-EGFR therapy. Limited understanding of the molecular profiles of colorectal cancer liver metastases.

    Higher frequency of subclonal anti-EGFR resistance mutations in post-treatment samples from patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases following anti-EGFR-based conversion chemotherapy · 2026 · DOI

  • The heterogeneity of baseline tumor marker levels. The complexity of the 5-FU-based chemotherapy regimen. The need to consider the short-term kinetics of serum tumor markers in clinical practice.

    Early kinetics of CA19-9 and CEA after 5-FU-based chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers · 2026 · DOI

  • The study notes that older patients with mCRC may have limited tolerance to intensive chemotherapy. The study highlights the challenge of balancing treatment intensity and tolerability in this population. The study acknowledges the difficulty of generalizing the findings to a larger population.

    Relative Dose Intensity and Clinical Outcomes of Using Trifluridine/Tipiracil with or without Bevacizumab in Patients Aged ≥ 75 Years with Advanced or Recurrent Colorectal Cancer: a Single-Center Retrospective Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to validate the findings in a larger population. Future research should investigate the optimal treatment strategies for older patients with mCRC. Additional studies are needed to examine the relationship between RDI and OS in different patient populations.

    Relative Dose Intensity and Clinical Outcomes of Using Trifluridine/Tipiracil with or without Bevacizumab in Patients Aged ≥ 75 Years with Advanced or Recurrent Colorectal Cancer: a Single-Center Retrospective Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Structural and financial barriers to timely care. Limited healthcare resources in Uganda. High socioeconomic vulnerability among patients.

    Prevalence and factors associated with treatment delay among colorectal cancer patients at Mulago National Referral Hospital and the Uganda Cancer Institute: A cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • Nevertheless, few studies have been reported on the prognostic significance of CTCs in colorectal cancer (CRC).

    Prognostic value of Gli1 expression on colorectal cancer: a retrospective study · 2026 · DOI

  • ARID1A is frequently mutated in CRC, but its prognostic value for this disease remains controversial.

    ARID1A regulates colorectal cancer metastasis through the AKT/mTOR/p70S6K pathway · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the aggressive phenotype and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities remain incompletely understood.

    Targeting the ANKRD54/ELOVL6 axis suppresses malignancy in BRAF mutant colorectal cancer by disrupting fatty acid metabolism and promoting ferroptosis · 2026 · DOI

  • One of the challenges is that about 90% of previously treated mCRC patients lack therapeutically available targets. Another challenge is that the population benefiting from immune checkpoint inhibitors is still limited to about 5% of patients with high microsatellite instability.

    Sintilimab plus fruquintinib with or without radiotherapy for third-line treatment of colorectal cancer with liver metastases: study protocol for a randomized controlled, multicenter phase II trial · 2026 · DOI

  • There is an urgent need to find novel therapies for third-line treatment of colorectal cancer with liver metastases. Current third-line therapies for mCRC have limited efficacy and poor prognosis.

    Sintilimab plus fruquintinib with or without radiotherapy for third-line treatment of colorectal cancer with liver metastases: study protocol for a randomized controlled, multicenter phase II trial · 2026 · DOI

  • The study used a limited number of cell lines and xenograft models. The mechanisms underlying EHMT2-mediated 5-FU resistance may be complex and involve multiple factors.

    Targeting EHMT2 overcomes 5-fluorouracil resistance in colorectal cancer by modulating cell cycle and apoptosis · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying EHMT2-mediated 5-FU resistance. The development of therapeutic strategies targeting EHMT2 may provide a potential approach for overcoming 5-FU resistance.

    Targeting EHMT2 overcomes 5-fluorouracil resistance in colorectal cancer by modulating cell cycle and apoptosis · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a small sample size. The study was limited to patients with KRAS G12C mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. The study did not investigate other potential treatments.

    大腸癌 KRAS G12C 標靶來了:sotorasib、adagrasib 與 anti-EGFR 雙重打擊 · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for effective treatments for KRAS G12C mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. Prior treatments have shown limited efficacy.

    大腸癌 KRAS G12C 標靶來了:sotorasib、adagrasib 與 anti-EGFR 雙重打擊 · 2026 · DOI

  • In the previous cohort study on CRLM conducted by our team, it was observed that integrated Chinese and Western medicine (ICWM) may offer advantages in treating CRLM, but high-level evidence is still lacking.

    Integrated Chinese and Western medicine prolong survival in colorectal cancer with liver metastasis: A retrospective cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • Hypersensitivity reactions are a common side effect of oxaliplatin, leading to discontinuation of treatment. There is a need for effective strategies to prevent or mitigate HSRs in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

    High-dose dexamethasone and prolonged infusion time prevent oxaliplatin-related hypersensitivity reactions in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • There is limited evidence for the efficacy and safety of sorafenib therapy for advanced RCC in Japanese patients. The study aims to address this gap by analyzing data from daily clinical settings.

    Unveiling VARS1: a key driver of colorectal cancer progression and immune modulation · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for real-life data on the efficacy and side effect profiles of aflibercept treatment. There is a gap in the literature on the effects of aflibercept on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

    Efficacy and Safety of Aflibercept Treatment in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Center Experience · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to identify reliable predictors of chemotherapeutic efficacy in colon cancer. The study addresses this gap by investigating the predictive value of baseline serum trace elements.

    Predictive Value of Serum Trace Elements for Chemotherapeutic Efficacy in Gastric and Colon Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study has a limited sample size. The study only includes patients with RAS wild-type mCRC.

    Real-world practices in RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with targeted agents in the first-line a nationwide onco-colon Turkey registry · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies

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72 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 286 Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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