Curated CRC research, accessible, accurate, actionable

The CRC Digest

Thursday, October 22, 2026

Was this forwarded to you? Read on the web or subscribe free

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.

CRC Research Update

• ● REGULATORY

  FDA approves dostarlimab for MSI-H/dMMR locally advanced rectal cancer

  The accelerated approval covers stage II or III rectal cancer and is based on the AZUR-1 trial. At median follow-up of 26.3 months, 110 of 154 patients (71%) had received dostarlimab alone, required no additional treatment, and experienced no disease progression. (Targeted Oncology)

• ◆ TRIAL DATA

  Maintenance immunotherapy after complete response may not be necessary in dMMR/MSI-H rectal cancer

  A multicenter cohort study of 129 patients who entered non-operative management after achieving clinical complete response with PD-1 inhibitors found 3-year disease-free survival was 96.2% with observation versus 98.3% with maintenance therapy, with no significant difference. (J Immunother Cancer)

• ▸ TREATMENT

  Oral trifluridine/tipiracil plus EGFR antibodies shows promise for frail patients with RAS wild-type mCRC

  A systematic review found that in third-line and beyond, the combination of trifluridine/tipiracil with cetuximab or panitumumab showed median progression-free survival ranging from 2.4 to 5.8 months and overall survival from 9.8 to 14.2 months. (J Cancer Res Clin Oncol)

• ▸ TREATMENT

  Anti-IL-1α antibody vilamakitug meets primary endpoint in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer

  In the phase 2 TASKIN trial, 61.3% of patients receiving vilamakitug plus standard-of-care therapy were alive at 12 months compared with 55.7% in the control arm, meeting the prespecified efficacy criterion. (Targeted Oncology)

This week's research spans regulatory milestones in MSI-H rectal cancer and emerging treatment options for heavily pretreated metastatic disease.