Our Path to a Cure for Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death. By 2030, it’s expected to become the leading cause of cancer death for those under 49. Yet, it’s the cancer no one wants to talk about. Fight CRC works to support and inform patients while driving policy change and breakthrough research.

Our Path to a Cure report is our plan for the future. This plan is not just for Fight CRC, but for everyone who is willing to champion this cause. Together, with our community of patients, families, and caregivers, we work relentlessly to bring attention to colorectal cancer and all the issues surrounding it.

The overall survival rate for people with colorectal cancer has not budged, and the treatment pipeline has stagnated. We need to re-evaluate how we look at overall survival and begin to look beyond only “stage of colorectal cancer.” We need to adjust narrow goals of targeted therapies for specific demographics: We need to push the science.

This report reflects the commitment of advocates across the country involved in the scientific research process and locking arms to advocate for colorectal cancer research funding, and communicating research findings to the public. We represent passionate men and women willing to push for policy change and move past the status quo. For our patients, we continue to fight for them and alongside them. We are giving a voice to all those impacted by colorectal cancer. We bravely hold on to hope for a cure.

“The Path to a Cure report is the first of its kind, pushing us to collaborate and align our efforts in all areas of colorectal cancer.”

Anjee Davis, MPPA, President, Fight CRC

The Path to a Cure report is broken down into four sections. Each section in the report provides progress indicators, key messages, opportunities and challenges, and the voices of survivors. Each indicator has a plan of action to ensure that all partners, collaborators, and champions play a role in contributing a path to a cure.

Together, working hand in hand across industry, academia, advocacy, public health, government agencies, and with patients, this plan will drive and unify stakeholders to ask important questions, prioritize, and expand our scientific efforts.

On December 3, 2021, Fight CRC held our inaugural Path to A Cure Think Tank meeting, convening a curated group of 35 thought leaders and innovators to identify priorities and innovative research ideas focused on advancing treatment and an eventual cure for stage III and stage IV MSS colorectal cancer patients.

The Think Tank was designed to create a social and intellectual setting where it is safe to disagree and become aware of individual biases and blind spots, while having the opportunity to expand knowledge outside of disciplinary and institutional walls. Participants represented a diverse cross-section of expertise and experience, both within the CRC field and beyond it. 

Objectives for this Think Tank included:

• Serving as important catalysts for innovative ideas and action 
• Addressing the most pressing problems for the colorectal cancer research environment
• Identifying and eliminating barriers capturing the scientific and political imagination of the CRC research and policymaking communities to fund innovation, stimulate public debate, and offer creative yet practical solutions
• Advancing progress toward a cure for colorectal cancer.

“Individuals with stage IV cancer face the worst kind of deadline: The deadline that their advanced disease is going to someday take their life if we don’t make greater advances.”

–Dr. Rich Goldberg, Board Member & GI Oncologist

We express our deepest appreciation to all those who provided time, effort, and expertise in their contributions, discussions, and evolution of this report. A special thanks to our advisors and writers, for their contributions in stimulating suggestions, encouragement, and vision in the efforts to save lives from colorectal cancer. 

Path to a Cure report continues to engage the conversation around patient education and awareness, communication with your health care provider–especially around an extremely uncomfortable topic, family history, and systems and practices–and how we align incentives with what is actually best for everyone.