Daniel H. Ahn, DO, an oncologist, internist, and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, discusses current limitations of targeted therapy in the colorectal cancer (CRC).

Targeted therapy, though beneficial, is not curative, explains Ahn.

Moreover, results from the phase 2 ANCHOR-CRC and phase 3 BEACON-CRC studies showed ​similar rates of progression-free survival in the investigational and control arms in both the frontline ​and relapsed/refractory settings, respectively, explains Ahn.

A better understanding of the mechanisms of resistance with these targeted therapies is needed, Ahn adds. Capitalizing on the use of both tissue and liquid biopsies to better understand the development of secondary resistance mechanisms could be ​a step forward, Ahn concludes.