Guideline enacted to prolong life of patients with colorectal cancer
The spreading of cancerous cells to the liver is the major cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer, and it affects about half of patients already diagnosed with the cancer, local medical experts told an international medical forum in Shanghai.
“Spreading to the liver is the biggest challenge in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer, which is one of the leading cancers in Shanghai and China,” said Dr Qin Xinyu from Shanghai’s Zhongshan Hospital.
To deal with the problem, Zhongshan set up the nation’s first guideline to regulate and direct the clinical practice of colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases in order to prolong patients' lives and improve their life quality.
The hospital also began cooperating with leading specialists from around the world to work on an international guideline to direct more regulated and individualized treatment to patients.
“The survival rate of patients with colorectal cancer has been rising both in China and around the world, and we saw a very promising result after our guideline was introduced in our hospital and promoted nationwide,” said Dr Xu Jianmin, director of Zhongshan’s surgical department on colorectal diseases.
The five-year survival rate of colorectal patients with liver metastases has risen from 19 percent to 31 percent because of adopting the clinical guideline in Zhongshan Hospital, which is more in line with international standards.
The new version of the nation's guidelines for the treatment of colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases has been released.
