Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, with about 150,000 new cases each year. Treatment typically includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and in recent years targeted drugs and immunotherapy have transformed outcomes for many people. Five-year survival depends heavily on stage at diagnosis.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing immune checkpoint inhibitors for MSI-high tumors, KRAS inhibitors for previously untreatable mutations, bispecific antibodies that redirect immune cells to tumors, and personalized vaccines. Research is also pursuing earlier detection methods, better chemotherapy combinations, and strategies to treat liver metastases.
KRAS G12C inhibitors
New drugs target KRAS mutations that were long considered undruggable. Sotorasib and adagrasib are FDA-approved for lung cancer and are being tested in colorectal cancer, where this mutation appears in about 3-5% of cases.
Immunotherapy combinations
Checkpoint inhibitors work well in MSI-high colorectal cancer (about 15% of cases). Trials are testing ways to make immunotherapy effective in the majority of tumors that are MSI-stable, including combinations with targeted drugs and vaccines.
Bispecific antibodies
These drugs link T cells directly to cancer cells. Several bispecific antibodies targeting CEA and other colorectal cancer markers are in trials, showing activity even in heavily treated disease.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on cancer stage, prior treatments, specific mutations like KRAS or MSI status, and liver or lung function if metastases are present.
What types of trials are currently open
- Targeted therapy trials — Testing drugs that block specific mutations like KRAS, BRAF, or HER2, often in combination with chemotherapy or other targeted drugs.
- Immunotherapy trials — Testing checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cells, or cancer vaccines, especially for MSI-high tumors or in combinations aimed at MSI-stable disease.
- Chemotherapy trials — Testing new chemotherapy combinations or sequences, often with targeted drugs added to improve response.
- Surgical trials — Comparing different surgical approaches for liver metastases or studying heated chemotherapy delivered during surgery.
- Prevention trials — Testing drugs like aspirin or immunotherapy in people with high-risk polyps or Lynch syndrome to prevent cancer development.
Recently added Colorectal Cancer trials
Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision vs Robotic Total Mesorectal Excision
TME remains standard treatment for rectal cancer. Both Robotic TME and taTME are innovative surgical techniques with potential advantages in low rectal cancer. To date, no clinical studies have directly compared the conversion and complication rates between taTME and RTME in this population. Therefore, the investigators propose to conduct a prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial comparing taTME with RTME for low rectal cancer, aiming to provide high-level evidence for surgical decision-making and benefit more patients.
Different-Dose SCRT Plus CAPOX, PD-1 Blockade and IL-2 in LARC
This prospective, randomized phase II trial is designed to evaluate whether low-dose short-course radiotherapy differs from common-dose short-course radiotherapy in terms of efficacy when both regimens are sequentially combined with CAPOX, a PD-1 monoclonal antibody, and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The study is based on findings from our previous single-center, single-arm PRIDE01 study, in which neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy followed by systemic chemoimmunotherapy and IL-2 demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity relative to historical short-course radiotherapy-based approaches. The current trial aims to provide more robust clinical evidence regarding the potential role of low-dose radiotherapy combined with IL-2 as a sensitization strategy in multimodal neoadjuvant therapy. By comparing complete response rates between the two radiotherapy dose levels, this study may help define an optimized neoadjuvant approach and support future organ-preservation strategies for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Find Colorectal Cancer trials matched specifically to you
Answer 3 quick questions and we'll show you trials that fit your situation.