The CRC Digest

Curated CRC research — accessible, accurate, actionable

Thursday, March 19, 2026

IMPORTANT: The CRC Digest curates and summarizes publicly available research for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendation. The information provided should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment. Content is generated with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team. We are not medical professionals. Individual results, treatments, and outcomes vary.

• Encorafenib plus cetuximab shows survival benefit in Chinese patients with BRAF-mutant mCRC

  The NAUTICAL study confirmed that encorafenib combined with cetuximab improved survival in Chinese patients with BRAFV600E-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer, a mutation found in 3-5% of cases and associated with aggressive disease. (Cancer Medicine)

• New trial compares fruquintinib/tislelizumab to standard third-line therapy in MSS mCRC

  The IKF-080/AIO-QUINTIS trial is testing fruquintinib combined with immunotherapy tislelizumab versus trifluridine/tipiracil and bevacizumab in patients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer without active liver metastases who have exhausted standard treatments. (ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology)

• Deep learning shows promise for detecting microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer

  A systematic review and meta-analysis found that artificial intelligence-based deep learning methods can accurately identify microsatellite instability status in colorectal cancer, which helps determine eligibility for immunotherapy. (Clinical Colorectal Cancer)

• First report of incomplete response to dostarlimab in locally advanced rectal cancer

  Researchers documented the first case of a patient with locally advanced rectal cancer who did not achieve complete clinical response to dostarlimab immunotherapy, providing insights into patient-related factors that may affect treatment outcomes. (Clinical Colorectal Cancer)

Research continues to refine treatment options and identify which patients benefit most from specific therapies.

The CRC Digest

Research intelligence for the colorectal cancer community

Content is curated with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.

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