Trifluridine/tipiracil and regorafenib: new weapons in the war against metastatic colorectal cancer.

ABSTRACT

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Approximately 20% of patients have metastatic disease at diagnosis, and a vast number of these patients die within 5 years. The advent of modern chemotherapeutics has improved median overall survival for these patients; nonetheless, we must keep striving for better outcomes. Trifluridine/tipiracil (TAS-102) and regorafenib are agents newly approved by the US Food and Drug Administration that show promise in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. These drugs have the benefit of being formulated for oral administration and have different side effect profiles. These differences are important in the selection of the best therapy for each patient, especially if the patient is prone to a side effect that is unique to just one of the treatments. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of action, side effect profile, and clinical efficacy of trifluridine/tipiracil, and compare them with those of regorafenib. Future trials will evaluate the use of these drugs in earlier lines of therapy, alone and in combination with other agents. We now have 2 more agents in the arsenal against metastatic colorectal cancer and the future is looking brighter for patients, although we still have a long way to go.