After surgery for colon cancer, many patients face the question of whether follow-up chemotherapy is necessary to prevent a possible relapse. The decision is particularly difficult in so-called Stage II, the intermediate-risk group: Although around one in five untreated patients suffers a relapse, adjuvant chemotherapy places a significant and, in some cases, unnecessary burden on many patients. A large clinical study led by Dresden University Hospital (UKD) now provides important insights for a robust basis for decision-making. These findings were presented for the first time at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and published simultaneously in the Annals of Oncology.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. Recent research pointed to stem cells as a significant primary driver of colorectal cancer, but exactly what happens at the cellular level inside the gut is less clear. A new study by researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology sheds, outlines a mechanism by which colorectal cancers can evolve from mature intestinal cells that revert to stem cells and suggests pathways for effective therapies.

CHICAGO, MAY 31, 2026 ― Updated results from the Phase 3 BREAKWATER trial, led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, demonstrated a 56% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death for patients with BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer treated with a targeted therapy combination. 

OSUCCC – James researchers will present new findings at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, including a program that helps patients get donated oral drugs faster, new insights into colon and breast cancer, and ongoing accessibility gaps across communities in clinical trials.