Progress and challenges in the adjuvant treatment of stage II and III colon cancers

Whereas the benefit of adjuvant 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin have been well established in resected stage III colon cancer, a significant benefit for patients with stage 11 disease has been more difficult to demonstrate. More recently, oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with regimens such as oxaplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin have been shown to improve disease-free and overall survival in these stage III patients. This review will discuss the development of adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer, focusing on recent progress and particular topical issues related to its use in this disease, such as the use of surrogate end points for overall survival in contemporary clinical trials.