A subset of patients with stage III colon cancer had improved survival rates when treated with irinotecan-based therapy, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

When added to the standard chemotherapy treatment—fluorouracil and leucovorin—adjuvant irinotecan therapy improved overall survival rates for patients with the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP).

CIMP is seen in about 10 to 20 percent of colorectal cancers. Patients with CIMP-negative tumors, however, exhibited significant harm from the addition of irinotecan—overall survival was 68 percent compared with 78 percent for those receiving the standard treatment alone.


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