More Fruits and Veggies, Less Meat Reduces Colorectal Cancer(8/14/2008) Researchers affiliated with the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study have reported that individuals who consume a diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy oils, contains sufficient dietary calcium and vitamin D, and is low in solid fats, added sugar, and red meats have a significantly reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer. These results were recently published in the July 1, 2008 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Non-invasive Test Effective for Colorectal Cancer Screening(6/9/2008) A new, non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test from Exact Sciences is now available and supported by the American Cancer Society and other major medical groups. Study results showing the test’s efficacy have been reported in the April 2008 supplement of Gastroenterology.
Physicians with More Training Perform More-effective Colonoscopies(5/8/2008) Researchers from Korea have reported that a physician must perform at least 150 colonoscopies to be considered competent at the procedure. Details of the study were recently published in the April 2008 issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Celebrex® Reduces Colon Adenomas(4/25/2008) Researchers affiliated with the APC trial (Adenoma Prevention Celebrex) have reported that Celebrex® (celecoxib) reduces the rate of colon adenomas at five years and appears safe, even among patients with cardiovascular disease. These results were recently presented as a late-breaking abstract at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, in San Diego.
Drug Combination Decreases Recurrence Rate of Colon Polyps(4/22/2008) Researchers from the University of California Irvine have reported that the combination of the difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and sulindac reduces the rate of colon adenomas by up to 95% among patients who have had prior colon polyps. These results were presented as a late-breaking abstract at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held in San Diego, April 12-16, 2008.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy Does Not Adversely Affect Quality of Life of Elderly Patients with Colorectal Cancer(8/11/2008) Researchers from France have reported that patients 75 years of age or older with Stage III colon or rectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy did not have negative effects on quality-of-life parameters compared with patients not receiving adjuvant therapy. The details of this study appeared in the August 15, 2008 issue of Cancer.
Laparoscopic Surgery Reported More Effective than Open Surgery for Colon Cancer(7/25/2008) Researchers from Barcelona, Spain, have reported that laparoscopic surgery was more effective than open surgery for the treatment of colon cancer. The details of this randomized trial appeared in the July 2008 edition of the Annals of Surgery.
Low Socioeconomic Status Increases Cancer Mortality(7/24/2008) Researchers affiliated with the Findings from the National Program Registries Patterns of Care Study have reported that low socioeconomic status is associated with a high mortality due to later diagnoses and less aggressive treatments for cancer. The details of this study were reported in the August 1, 2008 issue of Cancer.
Higher Vitamin D Levels Result in Better Survival Among Colorectal Cancer Patients(7/17/2008) Researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Center have reported that patients with colorectal cancer who have higher levels of vitamin D in their blood prior to diagnosis have an improved survival compared with those with lower levels. These results were published in the June 20, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Family History Associated with Improved Survival from Colon Cancer(6/4/2008) Researchers from several U.S. and Canadian Medical Centers have reported that patients with Stage III colon cancer with an affected family member have a better survival than patients with stage III colon cancer without a family history. The details of this study appeared in the June 4, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Early Skin Treatment Reduces Skin Reactions in Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Vectibix®(8/25/2008) Among patients with colorectal cancer, skin treatment beginning on the day prior to therapy with Vectibix® (panitumumab) significantly reduces skin side effects associated with Vectibix compared with skin treatment after side effects occur. These results were presented at the 10th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer held in Spain in June 2008.
Radiofrequency Ablation Effective for Lung Tumors(7/22/2008) Researchers involved in a multicenter international trial have reported that the use of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of lung cancer or pulmonary metastases provides an effective and safe therapeutic option for selected patients. These results were recently published in the July 7, 2008 issue of Lancet Oncology.
Erbitux®/Avastin® Combo Not Effective in Colorectal Cancer(7/7/2008) Researchers affiliated with the CAIRO2 trial reported that the addition of Erbitux® (cetuximab) to Avastin® (bevacizumab), Eloxatin® (oxaliplatin), and Xeloda® (capecitabine) did not provide a clinical benefit and actually reduced progression-free survival in metastatic colorectal cancer. These findings are consistent with results from other trials indicating that the combination of agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF) pathways does not provide clinical benefit. These results were recently presented as a late-breaking abstract at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, Illinois.
Patients with KRAS Mutation Do Not Benefit from EGFR Inhibitors(6/20/2008) Several presentations at the 2008 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) reported confirmatory data that treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors such as Erbitux® (cetuximab) and Vectibix® (panitumumab) is only effective among patients with the normal KRAS gene, while those with a mutated KRAS gene demonstrate virtually no response to these agents. In essence, global consent was achieved at this year’s ASCO that all patients eligible for EGFR-targeted therapies should first undergo KRAS testing prior to initiation of therapy.
Pre-existing Antibodies Explain Severe Hypersensitivity Reactions to Erbitux®(5/6/2008) Researchers from Vanderbilt University have reported that hypersensitivity reactions to Erbitux® (cetuximab) are related to the presence of IgE antibodies present before therapy. The details of this study appeared in the March 13, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Patient Home
