Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent
Medications
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to control cancer's growth or relieve symptoms. Often the drugs are given through a needle in your vein, and your blood vessels carry the drugs through your body. Sometimes the drugs are available as pills you can swallow. Sometimes they are given through a shot, or injection. For colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver, researchers are studying hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy. This delivers drugs directly to the liver.
Several drugs are used to treat metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer. Drugs are also available to treat side effects such as nausea.
Medication Choices
Cancer drugs are often used in combination. The most commonly used drugs for the treatment of colorectal cancer are:
Drugs to control and prevent the nausea and vomiting often caused by chemotherapy include:
- Metoclopramide.
- Phenothiazines, such as promethazine hydrochloride (Histantil) and prochlorperazine (Stemetil).
- Serotonin antagonists, such as ondansetron (Zofran), granisetron (Kytril), or dolasetron (Anzemet). These medications prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy more effectively when they are combined with corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone (Dexasone).
Clinical trials that test new drugs are ongoing. Talk with your doctor about participating in a clinical trial.
What To Think About
Drugs may not cure metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer, but they can help you feel better and live longer by slowing the cancer's growth.
Talk to your doctor about drugs to help you manage pain and other symptoms that may accompany cancer. For more information, see the topic Cancer Pain.
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| Author: | Douglas Dana Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: March 19, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology Arvydas D. Vanagunas, MD - Gastroenterology | |
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