Timeline of colorectal cancer

This is a timeline of colorectal cancer, describing especially major discoveries and advances in treatment of the disease.

Big picture

Year/period	Key developments
Ancient times	Different herbs to treat colorectal cancer are proposed more than 6,000 years ago in ancient China. The ancient Greek and Indian civilizations also record preventative care and treatment plans, such as the use of olive oil, for colon health.[1]
1960s	The colonoscope is developed thanks in part to advances in fiber optics and engineering.[1] Engineering advances improve the visualization and illumination provided by the laparoscope.[2]
1970s	Endoscopic screening, including colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy, are introduced, enabling discovery of colorectal cancers and precancers at their earliest stages when they are most treatable and curable.[3]
1980s	Video chip technology is introduced for laparoscopy, providing a major enhance in colorectal cancer surgery.[2]
1990s	New gene tests for hereditary conditions are developed, which enable physicians to identify people with these conditions and monitor them more closely for cancer or pre cancerous polyps through regular colonoscopy screenings.[3]
Present time	Today, the treatment of colorectal cancer can be aimed at cure or palliation. When colorectal cancer is caught early, surgery can be curative. Globally, colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer making up about 10% of all cases.[4] In 2012, there were 1.4 million new cases and 694,000 deaths from the disease.[4] It is more common in developed countries, where more than 65% of cases are found.[5] It is less common in women than men.[5]

Full timeline

Year/period	Type of event	Event	Location
1896	Development	English Sir Jonathan Huchinson first describes the association of mucosal pigmentation and gastrointestinal polyposis.[6]
1913	Development	Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer is first described.[7]
1925	Discovery	Researchers first describe association between inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer.[8]
1925	Discovery	American gastroenterologist Burrill Bernard Crohn and Herman Rosenberg report the first case of adenocarcinoma complicating ulcerative colitis.[9]
1932	Development	English physician Cuthbert Dukes devices a classification system for colorectal cancer.[1]
1958	Treatment	Fluorouracil is introduced for treating colorectal cancer. It is found to show improvements when combining with other drugs like leucovorin, methotrexate and trimetrexate.[10]
1965	Discovery	Researchers discover association of primary sclerosing cholangitis with ulcerative colitis. Many studies since confirm the higher risk of ulcerative colitis–associated colorectal cancer in patients with PSC.[8]
1966	Development	Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer, is first categorized.[11]
1966–1969	Development	Japanese surgeon Hiromi Shinya and William Wolff, working at Beth Israel Medical Center develop colonoscopic techniques using an esophagoscope, which would allow one endoscopist to perform a colonoscopy, rather than the two-person technique, which was previously the standard. They also develop the electrosurgical polypectomy snare for polyp removal. In September 1969, Wolff and Shinya publish their work using diagnostic fiber colonoscopy, thus revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer.[1]	New York City, US
1982	Treatment	New procedure called total mesorectal excision emerges as a new standard surgical treatment for rectal cancer. It consist in removing only the cancerous region of the rectum, allowing patients to maintain normal bowel function.[12]
1985	Treatment	Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is developed as a surgery performed via a scope inserted into the anus to remove early stage rectal cancers less invasively. TEM is especially important as an option for patients who are too ill or elderly to undergo an open abdominal operation.[3]
1985–1991	Treatment	Treatment after surgery is found to increase colorectal cancer survival, by means of administration of chemotherapy (adjuvant treatment). Prior to this, about half of patients experienced a recurrence of their cancer after surgery, which often led to death.[3]
1990–1999	Development	Genetic tests become available for familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.[3]
1992	Development	Gastrointestinal stromal tumor is first described.[13]
1994	Discovery	Study shows that approximately one third of patients with low grade dysplasia progress to high grade dysplasia or colorectal cancer during further examination.[8]
1996	Treatment	FDA approves Camptosar (irinotecan), for advanced colon cancer.[14]	United States
1997	Discovery	Surgery is found to cure colon cancer patients with tumors that have spread to the liver alone.[3]
2000		The American College of Gastroenterology recommends colonoscopy every 10 years as the preferred screening strategy for persons at average risk of acquiring colorectal cancer.[15]
2001–2004	Treatment	FDA approves Xeloda (capecitabine), the first oral chemotherapy drug, for patients with advanced metastatic colon cancer, and later for patients with stage III colon cancer (cancer with limited spread in the surrounding tissue) who have had surgery to remove the tumor.[3]	United States
2002–2004	Treatment	FOLFOX regime, which combines eloxatin (oxaliplatin) with fluorouracil and leucovorin, is approved to treat advanced colon cancer that has spread despite other treatments.[3]
2003	Discovery	567 individuals with colon cancer are randomized to receive whether surgery alone or surgery combined with vaccines derived from their own cancer cells. Eventually, the median survival for the cancer vaccine group is over 7 years, compared to the median survival of 4.5 years for the group receiving surgery alone.[16]
2004	Discovery	Researchers publish a study suggesting that focused ultrasound combined with radiation could be safe and effective in patients with rectal carcinoma.[17]	China
2004	Treatment	Avastin (bevacizumab) is approved for treating colorectal cancer.[18]
2004	Treatment	Erbitux (cetuximab) is approved for treating colorectal cancer.[18]
2008	Report	The IARK ranks colorectal cancer (CRC) second for cancer prevalence and third for mortality in men and third for frequency and second for mortality in women in developed countries.[19]
2009	Development	Several studies report the feasibility of using stool based microRNA as biomarkers for colorectal cancer screening.[20]
2010	Discovery	Researchers find a consistent link between higher vitamin D levels in the blood and a lower rate of colorectal cancer.[21]
2012	Treatment	FDA approves Stivarga (regorafenib) and Zaltrap (aflibercept) for antiangiogenic therapy. Studies show both drugs extend survival, offering new options for patients with aggressive colorectal cancers.[22]	United States
2012	Discovery	Researchers find that virtual colonoscopy (a less invasive form of colonoscopy) is as accurate as conventional colonoscopy in finding potentially cancerous polyps.[23]
2014	Development	Researchers at Cleveland Clinic create online colorectal cancer risk calculator, designed to help both patients and physicians determine when screening for colorectal cancer is appropriate.[24]	Cleveland, Ohio, US
2015	Treatment	FDA approves Lonsurf (trifluridine and tipiracil) for patients with an advanced form of colorectal cancer who are no longer responding to other therapies.[25]	United States

See also

• Timeline of brain cancer
• Timeline of kidney cancer
• Timeline of lung cancer
• Timeline of pancreatic cancer
• Timeline of liver cancer
• Timeline of bladder cancer

References

1. "The History of Colorectal Cancer Screening Colonoscopies". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
2. "Role of Laparoscopic Techniques in Colorectal Cancer Surgery". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
3. "Cancer progress". Retrieved 10 September 2016.
4. World Cancer Report 2014. World Health Organization. 2014. pp. Chapter 1.1. ISBN 9283204298.
5. World Cancer Report 2014. World Health Organization. 2014. pp. Chapter 5.5. ISBN 9283204298.
6. "Colorectal cancer risk in hamartomatous polyposis syndromes". doi:10.4240/WJGS.v7.i3.25.
7. "Recent Developments in Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer". Retrieved 12 September 2016.
8. "Current Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer". PMC 3109885.
9. "Colorectal cancer complicating ulcerative colitis: a reviewColorectal Cancer Complicating Ulcerative Colitis". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
10. Bertino, JR. "Chemotherapy of colorectal cancer: history and new themes.". PMID 9420015.
11. "Immunochemistry screening for Lynch syndrome in colorectal adenocarcinoma using an initial two antibody panel can replace a four antibody panel". Retrieved 6 September 2016.
12. "The Role of Total Mesorectal Excision in the Management of Rectal Cancer". Retrieved 11 September 2016.
13. "Gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) Incidentally Found After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Case Report". doi:10.17795/acr-24855.
14. "Irinotecan (CPT-11): Recent Developments and Future Directions–Colorectal Cancer and Beyond". doi:10.1634/theoncologist.6-1-66.
15. "Colorectal Cancer Screening for Persons at Average Risk". doi:10.1093/jnci/94.15.1126.
16. "Colorectal Cancer". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
17. "Colorectal Cancer". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
18. "New Combinations in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: What Are Our Expectations?". doi:10.1634/theoncologist.10-5-320.
19. "Immune cells: plastic players along colorectal cancer progression". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
20. "Colorectal cancer screening: are stool and blood based tests good enough?". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
21. "Healthy Eating: Controlling Colorectal Cancer". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
22. "Update on antiangiogenic therapy in colorectal cancer: aflibercept and regorafenib". doi:10.3978/j.issn.2078-6891.2013.008. PMC 3635194.
23. "Cancer". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
24. "Cleveland Clinic researchers create online colorectal cancer risk calculator". Retrieved 7 September 2016.
25. "New Oral Medication Approved for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer". Retrieved 8 September 2016.