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CME Accreditation and Credit Designation

Physicians' Education Resource is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Physicians' Education Resource designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Release Date: Apr 29, 2008
Expiration Date: Apr 29, 2009

A 50-Year-Old Female With Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer

Release Date: Apr 29, 2008
Expiration: Apr 29, 2009
1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

Purpose

Diagnoses of colorectal cancer in the United States are projected to reach approximately 150,000 in 2008, and approximately one third of the patients are expected to die from the disease. The emergence of biologic agents as treatment for colorectal cancer has been associated with additional patient benefit in the metastatic setting, and the addition of an anti–vascular endothelial growth factor antibody to chemotherapy has become the standard of care in first-line treatment. Optimal administration of biologic agents, including timing and potential combinatorial partners, remains a focus in the clinical investigation of metastatic colorectal cancer. In addition, the integration of biologic agents into first-line therapy might also increase the curative resection rate in patients with liver-limited disease. An awareness of published and ongoing clinical trials addressing the use of dual biologic agents and understanding the impact of emerging data will aid in improving the current standard of care.

The purpose of this activity is to review the clinical trial data relevant to the use of dual biologic agents in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Target Audience

This educational activity is intended for medical oncologists involved in the care of patients with colorectal cancer. No specific skills or knowledge other than a basic training in oncology are required for successful participation in this activity.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, you should be able to:

  • Assess the efficacy and safety of the combination of antiangiogenic agents and anti–epidermal growth factor receptor agents in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer based on clinical trial data
  • Determine the optimal duration of preoperative chemotherapy with or without biologic agents that will reduce the incidence of hepatic complications in order to perform curative hepatic resection

Instructions for Participation

  1. Read the following information before beginning the educational activity.
  2. Study the educational activity.
  3. Complete the CME test.
  4. Answer the evaluation questions.
  5. After successful completion of the CME test and evaluation, you will receive your certificate of credit online.

Complete the evaluation, pretest, and posttest by April 29, 2009 to receive your certificate of credit online.

Please scroll to the bottom and accept the CME Activity Terms in order to continue:

Disclosure Policy

It is the policy of Physicians’ Education Resource to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its educational activities. As an organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Physicians’ Education Resource requires everyone who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity, including spouses/partners, to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. The ACCME defines “relevant financial relationships” as financial relationships in any amount occurring within the past 12 months that create a conflict of interest. Physicians’ Education Resource has implemented a mechanism to identify and resolve all conflicts of interest prior to the activity.

Cathy Eng, MD
Research Funding – AstraZeneca; Genentech, Inc.; Roche Pharmaceuticals; sanofi-aventis U.S.

PER Editorial Staff
No relevant relationships to disclose

This CME activity might include discussion of investigational and/or unlabeled uses of drugs. If the activity includes discussion of investigational and/or unlabeled uses of a drug, specific information is located on the title page. Please refer to the full prescribing information for each drug discussed in this newsletter for FDA-approved dosing, indications, and warnings.

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Banner Illustration

Illustrator: Erin Moore

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor, supporter, or publisher. Although great care has been taken in compiling and checking the information given in this activity to ensure accuracy, the authors, and Physicians’ Education Resource and its servants or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for the continued currency of the information or for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this activity, whether arising from negligence or otherwise howsoever or for any consequences arising therefrom.

Please consult full prescribing information for any drugs or procedures discussed within.

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All rights reserved. No part of this activity may be translated, reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means or in any type of media form including electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, broadcasting, or otherwise without prior permission from the publisher.

©Copyright 2008 by Physicians’ Education Resource. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, without written permission from the publisher.

All correspondence should be directed to:
Editor, Interactive Case Study: A 50-Year-Old Female With Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer
Physicians’ Education Resource
3500 Maple Ave.
Suite 700
Dallas, TX 75219
Phone: (214) 367-3456
Fax: (214) 367-3304
E-mail: editor@pergrouplp.com

Educational Grants

An educational grant for this activity was provided by:


  1. Bristol-Myers Squibb/
    ImClone Systems

Case Author

Cathy Eng, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of
  Gastrointestinal Medical
  Oncology
The University of Texas
  M. D. Anderson Cancer
  Center
Houston, TX