Fruquintinib as Maintenance Therapy for Advanced Colorectal Cancer with NED: A Study on Clinical Effectiveness and Safety

The overall 5-year survival rate for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) remains disappointingly low, below 20%. While surgery-based local treatment can initially achieve no evidence of disease (NED), over 60% of patients experience recurrence, even with adjuvant therapy in the 6-month perioperative period. This highlights the urgent need for effective strategies to prevent recurrence and improve long-term outcomes in these patients.

Fruquintinib, a highly selective small-molecule anti-angiogenic inhibitor, has shown promise in this setting. By inhibiting angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow and spread, fruquintinib may effectively suppress tumor recurrence and metastasis.

This study aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of fruquintinib as maintenance therapy in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) who have achieved NED after completing adjuvant chemotherapy. This research is particularly significant given that the CSCO guidelines have already included fruquintinib as a level I recommendation for third-line therapy in CRC. The findings of this study could potentially pave the way for improved treatment strategies and ultimately extend survival for patients with advanced CRC.