[Emphasizing whole-course management of colorectal cancer: from diagnosis and treatment to patient health].

This article is a narrative review that argues colorectal cancer care should shift from a narrow “disease-centered” model to comprehensive, whole-course management aligned with its increasingly chronic nature.

Key points:

• Rationale for whole-course management
  • Longer survival has exposed unmet needs in function, mental health, and social roles.
  • Traditional episodic, treatment-focused care is inadequate for long-term quality of life, adherence, and survivorship issues.
• Concept of whole-course, patient-centered care
  • Continuous management spanning pre-hospital (risk assessment, education, early detection), in-hospital (multidisciplinary treatment planning, perioperative and systemic therapy optimization), and post-discharge phases (rehabilitation, surveillance, management of late effects, psychosocial and social support).
  • Emphasis on preserving function, psychological well-being, and social participation, not only extending survival.
• Proposed management framework (“C‑D‑C” model)
  • Builds a structured pathway supported by:
    • Multidisciplinary collaboration (oncology, surgery, nursing, rehab, psychology, nutrition, social work, etc.).
    • Case management to coordinate care across stages and settings.
    • Digital platforms for follow-up, symptom monitoring, patient education, and communication.
    • Artificial intelligence to assist risk stratification, decision support, and individualized care planning.
• Feasibility and challenges
  • Feasible due to maturing digital health tools, growing MDT infrastructure, and rising awareness of survivorship needs.
  • Challenges include integrating fragmented services, resource and staffing constraints, data interoperability, ensuring equitable access, and establishing standards and evaluation metrics.
• Future direction
  • Calls for intelligent, personalized, and collaborative management models to support high-quality colorectal cancer care, with ongoing refinement of processes, technology use, and outcome evaluation.