Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health issue with substantial morbidity and mortality. Radiation and systemic therapeutic modalities, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, are crucial in treating CRC. Dermatologic adverse events (dAE) are common with these treatments, which can profoundly impact a patient's quality of life, treatment approach, and clinical outcomes. The current dissertation assessed treatment-related dAE occurrence and associated risk factors by leveraging data from an established observational study cohort.
The first study characterized the clinicodemographic factors associated with treatment-associated dAEs among stage I-IV CRC patients. We found certain patient clinical factors, such as multiple comorbidities and receiving concurrent systemic and radiotherapy, were more likely to be associated with the development of a dAE during CRC treatment.
For the second study, we evaluated the relationship between dAEs and treatment modification patterns among CRC patients using real-world data. We found notable differences in the severity of dAEs across treatment outcomes from patients who either experienced no or other toxicities. The findings implied the importance of proactive management for mild and moderate dAES to maintain treatment continuity.
The third study investigated the association between dAEs and overall survival among CRC patients. The results demonstrated that dAEs were associated with poor overall survival compared to the non-dAE group. Severity-specific dAEs, such as grades 2 and 4, had a higher risk of death than CRC patients who did not experience a dAE.
These findings collectively enhance our understanding of the complexities involved in cancer care and pave the way for more personalized and effective patient care strategies, ultimately aiming to improve clinical outcomes for CRC patients.