What are the medications for rectal cancer?

Medications for colorectal cancer include chemotherapy agents, targeted therapy drugs, immunotherapy agents, anti-angiogenic drugs, and symptomatic supportive treatment medications. Individualized drug regimens should be developed based on cancer stage and patient's physical condition. If adverse drug reactions or changes in condition occur, prompt medical attention is recommended.

1. Chemotherapy drugs: Commonly used agents include oxaliplatin, capecitabine, and fluorouracil. These drugs work by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and can be used as neoadjuvant therapy before surgery to shrink tumors, adjuvant therapy after surgery to reduce recurrence risk, or for disease control in advanced-stage patients.

2. Targeted therapy drugs: Examples include cetuximab and bevacizumab. These target specific molecules on cancer cells. Cetuximab is suitable for patients with KRAS wild-type tumors, while bevacizumab inhibits tumor angiogenesis, enhancing the precision of treatment.

3. Immunotherapy drugs: Such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab, which activate the patient’s own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. These are indicated for patients with advanced colorectal cancer exhibiting microsatellite instability (MSI) or mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR).

4. Anti-angiogenic drugs: In addition to bevacizumab, agents like aflibercept are also used. They inhibit the formation of new tumor blood vessels, thereby reducing nutrient supply to the tumor and suppressing tumor growth and metastasis. These are often combined with chemotherapy in treating advanced colorectal cancer.

5. Symptomatic and supportive care drugs: Include antiemetics (e.g., ondansetron), antidiarrheals (e.g., smectite powder), and nutritional supplements (e.g., amino acid formulations). These help alleviate discomfort caused by treatments such as chemotherapy and improve patients’ quality of life and physical condition.

During treatment, regular monitoring of blood counts and liver and kidney function is necessary, along with close observation of bodily responses. Patients should maintain a light, easily digestible diet and avoid spicy or irritating foods. Regular sleep patterns and moderate gentle activities, such as slow walking, are recommended to help preserve physical function.