New pharmacotherapy available for metastatic colorectal cancer

Docrates’ treatment plan for metastatic colorectal cancer is influenced by factors such as the location and size of the tumor, the stage of the cancer and the overall health of the patient.

– If the colorectal cancer has spread, the disease is usually treated with pharmacotherapies, but surgical removal of metastases may also be considered, depending on the location and number of metastases, among other things. The aim of pharmacotherapy is to reduce the size of cancerous tumors and prevent the development of new metastases. If the treatment is effective, the cancer symptoms will decrease. The treatment involves the use of cytostatic agents and biological targeted therapies. A new pharmacotherapy, Fruzaqla, will be available from the beginning of August 2024. The drug is intended for people with metastatic colorectal cancer who have already been treated with other pharmacotherapies or for whom they are not suitable, says Tuomo Alanko, Chief Physician, Medical Oncology at Docrates Cancer Center.

– It’s great that treatments are improving all the time, and life expectancy is increasing. Pharmacotherapies are effective for many people, and even those with metastatic colorectal cancer will be able to live a good life for several years. The new drug, Fruzaqla, contains the active substance fruquintinib. It is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor that will be suitable for some patients, but not all. Fruzaqla is not yet covered by Kela’s reimbursement of medicine expenses, Alanko says.

The new pharmacotherapy is non-reimbursable and approved for use in the EU, and it will be available at the private Docrates Cancer Center from the beginning of August 2024.

*European Medicines Agency: Fruzaqla, fruquintinib 1.8.2024.

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