CME

Disclosure Policy
Med-IQ requires any person in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. The ACCME defines "relevant financial relationships" as those in any amount occurring within the past 12 months, including those of a spouse/life partner, that could create a conflict of interest (COI). Individuals who refuse to disclose will not be permitted to contribute to this CME activity in any way. Med-IQ has policies in place that will identify and resolve COIs prior to this educational activity. Med-IQ also requires faculty to disclose discussions of investigational products or unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Faculty Disclosure
The content of this activity has been peer reviewed and has been approved for compliance. The faculty and contributors have indicated the following financial relationships, which have been resolved through an established COI resolution process, and have stated that these reported relationships will not have any impact on their ability to provide unbiased content.

John L. Marshall, MD
Fees received for promotional/non-CME activities: Genentech, Roche Laboratories Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Amgen, sanofi-aventis U.S.

Thomas H. Cartwright, MD
Consulting Fees(eg, advisory boards): Roche Laboratories Inc., Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ImClone Systems, sanofi-aventis U.S.
Fees received for promotional/non-CME activities: Roche Laboratories Inc., Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ImClone Systems, sanofi-aventis U.S.

The activity planner, Sara Miller, MS, and the other employees of Med-IQ have no financial relationships to disclose.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants should be able to:

Explain the importance of adequate lymph node examination in staging colorectal cancer and identify the minimum number of lymph nodes required to confidently diagnose stage II disease
Implement tools for assessing pain and emotional well-being in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer
Explain the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with stage II and stage III colorectal cancer and implement appropriate processes in practice
Recognize the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for converting initially unresectable liver-only metastases to resectable status in stage IV colorectal cancer
Determine the appropriate use of targeted monoclonal antibody therapies for the treatment of stage IV colorectal cancer
Identify and implement effective surveillance strategies in patients who have been treated for colorectal cancer

Series Overview/Statement of Need
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and, despite a slow decline in the morbidity and mortality associated with colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society estimates that close to 50,000 Americans will die from the disease this year. Although the recent emphasis on screening has facilitated a marked increase in the number of cases diagnosed early in the course of the disease, a significant proportion of colorectal cancer cases continue to be diagnosed at an advanced stage, when treatment options are less effective and accompanied by a significantly higher level of toxicity.

The outcomes from national quality improvement programs and recent clinical evidence indicate the need for improved care in a number of areas, including use of proper staging of colorectal cancer to determine appropriate and optimal treatment options, increased awareness of the benefits and limitations of new chemotherapeutic and biologic agents, and increased focus on pain assessment and management throughout all stages of the disease.

Target Audience
This activity is intended for oncologists and community oncologists.

Accreditation/Designation Statements
Med-IQ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Med-IQ designates this activity for a maximum of 20.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Provided in collaboration with

Oncology Today

Evidence-Based Content Statement
Educational activities that assist physicians in carrying out their professional responsibilities more effectively and efficiently are consistent with the ACCME definition of continuing medical education (CME). As an ACCME-accredited provider of CME, it is the policy of Med-IQ to review and ensure that all the content and any recommendations, treatments, and manners of practicing medicine in CME activities are scientifically based, valid, and relevant to the practice of medicine. Med-IQ is responsible for validating the content of the CME activities it provides. Specifically, (1) all recommendations addressing the medical care of patients must be based on evidence that is scientifically sound and recognized as such within the profession; (2) all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in CME in support or justification of a patient care recommendation must conform to generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.

Med-IQ is not liable for any decision made or action taken in reliance upon the information provided through this activity.

Acknowledgment of Commercial Support
This activity is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S.

Medium and Method of Participation/Instructions to Receive Credit
This CME activity consists of 3 stages. To receive credit, each participant must read the introductory CME material, complete all 3 stages, and complete the corresponding attestation and evaluation.