Experiences of clinical trials for colorectal cancer

The Colorectal Cancer Study Group of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group was established in 2001 and has worked to provide answers to common clinical questions and improve treatment outcomes for colorectal and anal cancers through large-scale prospective clinical trials. Fifteen phase III clinical trials have been planned or implemented so far: JCOG0205, JCOG0212, JCOG0404, JCOG0603, JCOG0903, JCOG0910, JCOG1006, JCOG 0910, JCOG1007, JCOG1018, JCOG1310, JCOG1502, JCOG1801, and JCOG1805. Currently, several multicenter studies involving 60 institutions in Japan and a collaborative study with EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) are ongoing.
It is a big but important challenge for clinical oncologists to think and act strategically. Outside of Japan, novel studies using the data from many clinical trials and the data from specimen examination have been carried out one after another. We believe that all the specialists involved in colorectal cancer treatment must work together with their wisdom and experience in order to improve treatment outcome. We will reconfirm the group’s research policy that the clinical question is reviewed by all participants and the answer is obtained from randomized controlled study, and continue to actively promote clinical trials in the future.
Here, we discuss the current state of perioperative treatment for early-stage colon, rectal and anal cancers in Japan and approaches taken by the Colorectal Cancer Study Group/the Japan Clinical Oncology Group to improve treatment outcomes for these cancers.