Genes and Race in Colon Cancer

 Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United  States and on track to be the leading cause of death in adults younger  than 50 years by 2030.1  First-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer generally includes a  fluoropyrimidine backbone with the addition of oxaliplatin, irinotecan,  or both and a monoclonal antibody directed against the vascular  endothelial growth factor receptor or the epidermal growth factor  receptor (EGFR).2  The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)/Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG)  80405 trial investigated first-line palliative infusional fluorouracil,  leucovorin, and oxaliplatin or fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan  with either bevacizumab or cetuximab and serves as a seminal study  supporting this approach. Key findings of CALGB/SWOG 80405 were that  there was no difference in overall survival (OS) between the regimens in  KRAS wild-type tumors.3  In addition, tumors arising from the left colon had better outcomes  than those arising from the right, with a median OS of 36.0 versus 16.7  months (hazard ratio, 1.87 [95% CI, 1.48 to 2.32]; P < .0001)...