According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer among both men and women in the United States, accounting for approximately 55,000 deaths every year. Treatment is complex, with new product advances in both cytotoxic and targeted therapy drugs changing the landscape of options and pathways utilized by physicians to fight the disease.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.pharmaceuticals.frost.com), U.S. Colorectal Cancer Markets: Patient Outlook, provides an overview and patient population analysis for colon and rectal cancer in the United States from 2003-2013.

Proper understanding of the potential scope of various colorectal patient groups, divided according to factors such as disease progression and line of therapy, is important to judge the appropriate market size available for oncology products targeting colorectal cancer.

“Although the incidence of colorectal cancer is declining, it is not sufficient to offset aging population factors that are resulting in a year-over-year increase in the number of patient cases,” explains Frost & Sullivan Industry Manager Daniel Ruppar. “Having an understanding of population factors and size is important in judging market opportunities, both for existing product expansion and new product development.”

Among therapies, the percentage of patients receiving chemotherapy is increasing for both rectal and colon cancer. This trend, combined with an aging patient population, expects to contribute to growth in the use of adjuvant therapy.

With respect to stage IV cancer patients, projection through 2013 shows an increasing percent of patients willing to accept treatment through pharmaceuticals. Going by the base year trends, approximately 74 percent of stage IV rectal cancer patients and 53 percent of stage IV colon cancer patients are estimated to take pharmaceuticals as part of their treatment in 2013. New drug treatments expect to expand the therapeutic opportunities for patients, especially for those with late stage disease progression.

Patient survival is a crucial factor for drugs utilized in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Proven clinical outcomes, in regards to survival, expect to continue to be important for new products awaiting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, or existing products looking to expand indications.

“New treatments for colorectal cancer are improving the survival time of patients with the disease, “says Ruppar. “Determining the optimal treatment for each patient is important, with an indicative line of therapy having a direct impact on the revenue potential for products in this space.”

While recent advances in targeted therapies and improvements in chemotherapy are improving the lives of patients with colorectal cancer, continued innovation and product development is needed, especially since the colorectal cancer is the third leading disease in terms of patients for the oncology area.