In 2025, colorectal cancer care continued to move toward more personalized, less “one‑size‑fits‑all” treatment. Data on studies evaluating liquid biopsy and ctDNA tests continue to demonstrate these strategies as powerful tools to detect cancer progression or recurrence months earlier than CT or MRI scans, helping doctors identify when chemotherapy or immunotherapy is no longer working and when to switch to another option sooner. Several updates explained how ctDNA‑based MRD testing can help tailor adjuvant therapy intensity, and focused education continues to educate patients on how different ctDNA assays work and what their results may mean for follow‑up and treatment planning.
On the treatment side, new precision medicines were approved for metastatic colorectal cancer with specific mutations, including first‑line encorafenib combinations for BRAF V600E–mutant disease and sotorasib plus panitumumab for tumors with a KRAS G12C mutation, giving more patients access to targeted options matched to their tumor’s genetics. For people with microsatellite instability–high (MSI‑H) or mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer, immunotherapy moved earlier in the treatment course, with updates confirming that checkpoint inhibitors can be highly effective in previously untreated, unresectable, or metastatic disease, and new data supported the role of immunotherapy in some stage III dMMR colon cancers as well.
Research also continued to explore “repurposed” medicines. Reviews on aspirin and other NSAIDs summarized evidence that low‑dose aspirin may help lower the risk of developing colorectal cancer and may reduce recurrence in selected patients—especially those with certain PI3K‑pathway changes—though experts emphasized that decisions about daily aspirin must be individualized because of bleeding and heart risks. Other practical pieces for patients covered what to expect from colon cancer surgery, how to care for skin and nails during chemotherapy, and how vitamin D, diet, and lifestyle may support overall health, giving patients up‑to‑date information not only on cutting‑edge treatments but also on day‑to‑day survivorship and self‑care.
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