Cancer Research Journal » Bowel Cancer

Sexy Survivors Raise Colorectal Cancer Awareness

Lisa — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:45:18 +0000

The Colon Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York, has announced the release of The 2009 Colondar.

This year’s fifth anniversary edition of The Colondar features beautiful photographs of 13 vibrant male and female colorectal cancer survivors who were all diagnosed under the age of 50. The models bravely volunteer to share their stories and bare their surgical scars to encourage colonoscopies and to raise awareness that colon and rectal cancers can strike anyone at any age.

Throwing all journalistic objectivity aside, I have to tell you I’m a BIG fan of this calendar. While feeling tired, bewildered and more than a little ugly after my own cancer surgery a few years ago, I stumbled across an earlier edition of The Colondar. The striking pictures of these courageous survivors offered me hope that I would soon recover from my cancer and return to a wonderful life.

The 2009 Colondar from The Colon Club

The 2009 Colondars are available from The Colon Club for $16.50 each with shipping included.

Consider getting a couple extras to give as gifts too. In addition to helping friends keep track of busy schedules, they’ll remind people to get screened, encourage cancer survivors throughout the year, and they’ll add something interesting and beautiful to bare office walls — my oncology nurse loved his!

(Click here to order a 2009 Colondar from The Colon Club.)

Note to readers outside the United States: The Colon Club’s web site does not process online international orders. If you’d like to purchase a copy to be mailed overseas, please e-mail them at Info@colondar.com.

The Colon Club is also looking for more survivors to appear in their 2010 Colondar. If you’re interested, please let them know as soon as possible.

Source: Colorectal Cancer Coalition

Technorati Tags: cancer prevention; cancer support groups; oncology; cancer outreach

UCLA Kills Cancer Cells With Light-Activated Nanoimpeller

Lisa — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:18:32 +0000

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a new light-activated nanomachine which can store anticancer drugs and release them into cancer cells.

Researchers from the California NanoSystems Institute and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA created the tiny cargo-carrying nanoparticles as a mechanism to deliver targeted chemotherapy drugs or dyes inside living cancer cells, where they can then be released by photoactivation.

To make this controlled release possible, Jeffrey Zink and Fuyu Tamanoi, co-directors of UCLA’s Nano Machine Center for Targeted Delivery and On-Demand Release, coated molecule-sized pores with azobenzene and loaded them with anticancer drugs. Once these engineered nanoparticles had their cargo, they were given to human cancer cells in vitro in the dark.

After the nanoparticles, known as nanoimpellers, were taken up by the cancer cells, the drug delivery mechanism was remote-activated by exposing the particles to light.

Zink and Tamanoi’s team tested the nanoimpellers on a variety of malignant cells including human colon and pancreatic cancers and found they were successful in causing cell death. They believe the discovery has strong implications for the future of cancer treatment. As they explained,

“This system has potential applications for precise drug delivery and might be the next generation for novel platforms for the treatment of cancers such as colon and stomach cancer. The fact that one can operate the mechanism by remote control means that one can administer repeated small-dosage releases to achieve greater control of the drug’s effect.”

Fuyu Tamanoi, PhD and Jeffrey Zink, PhD
California NanoSystems Institute, UCLA

If you’d like to read more about the nanoimpeller, UCLA’s findings have been published in the March 31, 2008, advance online edition of the nanoscience journal Small.

Source: UCLA News

New Colorectal Cancer Guidelines Focus on Prevention

Lisa — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:38:45 +0000

Representatives from five major US cancer care groups have collaborated to create new colorectal cancer screening guidelines designed to detect precancerous adenomas and malignant tumors in patients showing no symptoms.

The American Cancer Society, the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American College of Radiology weighed the potential risks and benefits of each procedure before reaching a consensus on the new recommendations.

After studying recent findings and dividing existing screening tests into two categories (one which screens for both adenomatous polyps and cancer and another that detects cancer alone), the experts added two tests for asymptomatic men and women at average risk: Stool DNA and CT Colonography or CTC, often referred to as virtual colonoscopy.

Members of the expert panel said their primary goal in rewriting the guidelines was to emphasize cancer prevention. As one gastroenterologist stated,

“What distinguishes these new guidelines is an emphasis on the importance and value of preventing colorectal cancer…”

Amy E. Foxx-Orenstein, DO, FACG
President, American College of Gastroenterology

The team also stressed that less invasive screening methods like CTC and fecal tests have their limitations and must be repeated regularly to be effective so doctors and patients need to consider their options carefully.

If you’d like more information about the new recommendations, they’ve been published in the March 5, 2008, edition of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Gastroenterology, and Radiology.

Source: C3 Colorectal Cancer Coalition

Related Links: MSN; ScienceDaily; Los Angeles Times; ACS

Technorati Tags: flexible sigmoidoscopy; US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Bernard Levin, MD; oncology

Rochester Recommends Earlier Colonoscopies for Smokers

Lisa — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:58:03 +0000

A study of 3,450 colorectal cancer patients conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center suggests smokers should start getting screened for colon cancer 10 years earlier than their non-smoking counterparts.

The American Cancer Society and other cancer experts currently recommend most people begin getting colonoscopies at age 50. However, Rochester’s investigation indicates age 50 may be too late for individuals who smoked more than a pack a day, especially if they started smoking cigarettes in their early teens.

Rochester’s examination of colon cancer cases spanning 40 years revealed cigarette smokers were diagnosed 6.8 years younger than their non-smoker counterparts and former smokers who quit less than five years before were diagnosed 4.3 years younger.

Their study also showed passive exposure to secondhand smoke combined with active smoking resulted in a colon cancer diagnosis nearly 10 years sooner.

While passive exposure to smoke has already been scientifically linked to an increased risk of other forms of cancer, Rochester’s research is one of the first published studies linking secondhand smoke to colon cancer.

The study’s lead author believes this new evidence will help physicians and patients make better choices about when to test for colon cancer. As he explained,

“The message is clear: When making decisions about colon cancer screening you should take into account smoking history as well as family history of disease and age.”

Luke J. Peppone, PhD
James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester

If you’d like to read more about Rochester’s research, their work is published in the online edition of the Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology.

Sources: URMC Office of Corporate Alliances and Medical News Today

Related Links: Science Daily; MedicineWorld.org

Tags: Roswell Park Cancer Institute; New York; oncology; polyps; cancer prevention; epidemiology

John Wayne Ties CCR9 to Metastatic Melanoma in GI Tract

Lisa — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:03:13 +0000

Research conducted by the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) at Saint John’s Health Center indicates the receptor protein CCR9 may promote the spread of melanoma to the small intestine.

Unlike other cancers, melanoma skin cancer commonly metastasizes to the lower bowel and, until recently, scientists were at a loss to explain the connection. JWCI’s study suggests the merging of CCR9 with CCL25 proteins produced in the gastrointestinal tract to fight inflammation may be what’s triggering melanoma migrations to the small intestine.

Using molecular biology and immunostaining techniques, the JWCI scientists were able to locate CCR9 in 88 of 102 metastatic melanomas in the small intestine. In contrast, none of the 96 melanomas which spread to other organs contained CCR9.

The researchers also found they could chemically inhibit the metastatic properties of CCR9-positive melanoma cells using specific substances. This discovery offers hope for developing treatments to target CCR9 so the spread of melanoma to the small intestine can be slowed or prevented — it may also help doctors identify which patients face the greatest risk. As one JWCI scientist explained,

“This is a unique demonstration of signaling, or the attraction of melanoma to a specific distant organ site. If we can identify patients’ melanomas that have these specific receptors, then we’ll know they have a high propensity to metastasize to the small intestine.

Dave S.B. Hoon, PhD
Director, Department of Molecular Oncology, JWCI

Results of the study are published in February 1, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

If you’d like additional information on melanoma, you can visit the American Academy of Dermatology web site.

Source: BusinessWire

Related Podcast: An Update on Melanoma from Yale Cancer Center Answers

Technorati Tags: cancer research; NIH-funded; internal medicine; duodenum; colon cancer; Santa Monica, CA

Europe OKs Oral Chemo for Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Lisa — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:25:03 +0000

Patients being treated for metastatic colorectal cancer in Europe just got a new treatment option.

Capecitabine, which is marketed by Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Roche under the trade name Xeloda, has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

European health officials approved the oral tablets for use in combination with any chemotherapy in all lines of treatment, with or without Avastin®, based on studies showing it produced approximately the same survival rates and level of safety as standard intravenous 5FU chemotherapies currently in use.

Oncologists are optimistic the drug will provide a valuable treatment alternative for thousands of patients in Europe who are diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer every year. As one explained,

“Until now, Xeloda has been available to only a few colorectal cancer patients. But several studies have now shown that almost all patients with colorectal cancer that has spread can benefit from Xeloda at any time and in combination with any chemotherapy treatment. It is a highly effective oral chemotherapy that reduces hospital treatment time by 160 hours compared to the old standard chemotherapy, allowing patients to live as normal a life as possible.”

Professor Jim Cassidy
Cancer Research UK and Chair of Medical Oncology
Beatson Oncology Centre, University of Glasgow

The most commonly reported side effects of Xeloda are diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, stomatitis and hand-foot syndrome.

This latest action adds to growing list of Xeloda-related approvals impacting cancer patients and professionals in more than 100 countries. South Korea has already licensed the drug as a first-line treatment for stomach cancer and for metastatic pancreatic cancer in combination with gemcitabine. In Japan, the treatment is licensed for advanced breast cancer. The US Food and Drug Administration approved capecitabine for adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of colon cancer in June 2005.

If you’d like to learn more about treatment options available to colorectal cancer patients in the US, you can visit the National Cancer Institute’s Colon and Rectal Cancer page.

Sources: Reuters and Medical News Today

Technorati Tags: XELOX; palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia; pharmacodynamics; Centre for Oncology and Applied Pharmacology

Aetna Ends Coverage for Anesthetic Used in Colonoscopies

Lisa — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:09:53 +0000

Effective April 1, 2008, Aetna (NYSE: AET) will no longer cover an anesthetic commonly used during colonoscopies, a diagnostic tool used to detect colorectal cancer. Similar exclusions have already been implemented by WellPoint (NYSE: WLP) and Humana (NYSE: HUM).

The drug propofol, marketed under the trade name Diprivan, is used to thoroughly sedate patients so they won’t experience pain or discomfort during the procedure. Because a qualified anesthesiologist must be present to administer propofol, the drug typically adds about $400 to a colonoscopy’s total cost.

Several less expensive alternatives to propofol are already in use, but their effects can take hours longer to wear off meaning a longer recovery time for patients.

Doctors are expressing different ideas about what impact the coverage change will have on patient care. As their statements demonstrate, some believe it is a prudent cost-cutting measure while others are concerned the insurance companies overstepped their boundaries when they labeled the drug “medically unnecessary” for colonoscopies.

“Since this does not affect the great majority of patients who are having this done – painlessly and without recollection for the procedure I might add – this is not a bad thing as long as they cover it for the select few who need it. The money saved could be used to screen more individuals.”

Donald David, MD, FACG
Director of Gastroenterology
City of Hope National Medical Center

“I have had two colonoscopies, one with the usual moderate sedation. I was hung over for four to six hours afterward. The second was with propofol, and I was awake and fully aware within 15 minutes and went shopping with my wife right after we left the facility. That is the entire difference.”

Dr David Posner
Chief of Gastroenterology
Mercy Medical Center

Source: ABC News

Related Links: chicagotribune.com; Medicare

Virtual Colonoscopy Could Encourage More Screening

Lisa — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:05:45 +0000

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison is reporting results of a study showing virtual colonoscopies are just as effective as traditional colonoscopies at detecting potentially cancerous growths.

CT Colonography (commonly referred to as virtual colonoscopy, VC, or CTC) uses CT imaging and computers to create a 3D view of the colon after it has been inflated with air. No recovery time is necessary because sedation isn’t required.

The good news is the virtual screening is quicker, less expensive and less invasive. The bad news is patients still have to purge their bowel with laxatives before the procedure, they are exposed to a low dose of radiation and, if polyps are found, they’ll need a conventional colonoscopy to remove them.

Studies showed over 90% of patients didn’t require the traditional procedure after having the virtual version. Proponents of VC hope it will help encourage individuals who are hesitant about undergoing a colonoscopy to get screened.

Statistics indicate only half the Americans who should be screened for colon cancer actually get tested resulting in thousands of preventable deaths each year.

Results from the VC research are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Source: USA Today

Italian Scientists Tie Trop-2 Gene to Tumor Growth

Lisa — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:05:27 +0000

Scientists from the University of Chieti in Italy have found that a gene which normally functions in the placenta during the early stages of pregnancy is also expressed in most human cancers.

Professor Saverio Alberti and his team discovered that the Trop-2 gene was involved in the formation of invasive cells needed during the stage between when the egg is fertilized and the embryo is formed. That finding led them to wonder if Trop-2 might also play a part in another invasive function – tumor growth.

To find out, Alberti’s group studied 1,755 tumors using immunohistochemical analysis. Their research showed that Trop-2 was over-expressed 65% to 90% of the time (with a 74% average occurrence) in different categories of tumors. Additionally, the gene was present in the vast majority of human cancers including breast, colon, stomach, lung, prostate, ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and pancreatic cancers.

In comparison, most other known markers appear much less frequently and are only linked to smaller subgroups, such as PSA for prostate cancer.

Unraveling the secrets of two sequence elements present in the Trop-2 cytoplasmic tail has been one of the most intriguing parts of the study, say the researchers. They are hopeful their work will help identify the specific molecules responsible for the formation of metastases. As Professor Alberti stated,

“If we can identify such molecules we will be approaching a situation where we could influence their activity and hence either encourage or prevent it.”

The team presented their findings at the 14th European Cancer Conference held September 23-27, 2007, in Barcelona, Spain.

Source: News-Medical.Net

Tags: receptor; The Origin-of-Life Prize®; Chieti; blastocyst

Combined Marker Test Could Catch More Colon Cancers

Lisa — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:02:36 +0000

Most forms of colorectal cancer can be prevented or successfully treated if caught early enough. Unfortunately, the disease is usually asymptomatic until it reaches the advanced stages so many people aren’t diagnosed until it is too late.

Colonoscopies can detect pre-cancerous polyps or small cancerous tumors early but, many patients avoid getting the procedure because they think it is too inconvenient, too expensive, or too embarrassing.

Results from recent clinical trials suggest there may soon be another method to catch the disease before it has progressed.

OncoMethylome Sciences (EBR: ONCOB) has successfully identified a combination of methylation markers which accurately detect the presence of colorectal cancer cells in stool samples. OncoMethylome’s research showed the marker test panel was able to correctly identify 86% of the colon cancer cases and 96% percent of the non-cancerous cases using stool samples taken from 147 study participants.

Data from the study was presented at the AACR Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development.

The company is also investigating a blood-based test and expects to report results from that study by the end of this year. OncoMethylome has already begun exploring commercial options for both tests. As their Chief Executive Officer explained,

“Developing patient-friendly, non-invasive stool and blood tests for colorectal cancer is one of our highest priorities.”

Herman Spolders
CEO, OncoMethylome Sciences

Source: OncoMethylome Sciences Newsroom

Related Video: What to Expect During a Colonoscopy from About.com

Related Podcast: Cancer Screening from CR Podcasts

Tags: Amsterdam; Belgium; North Carolina; cancer screening; Sigmoidoscopy; Robert C Timmins; less invasive tests; Veridex LLC