Cancer Research Journal » Rectal 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

KRAS is Key to Choosing Colorectal Cancer Chemotherapy

Lisa — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:41:50 +0000

Some medical experts are predicting it will soon become common practice to test all colorectal cancers for mutations in the KRAS gene prior to choosing a chemotherapy treatment for each patient.

This change in protocol is based on recent studies which show advanced colorectal cancer patients with mutated KRAS genes in their tumors are unlikely to benefit from chemotherapy with Erbitux® (cetuximab) and a similar drug Vectibix® (panitumumab). It is estimated that 30-40 percent of all colorectal cancers carry mutated forms of KRAS.

Findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology indicated that only patients with normal KRAS genes improved their progression-free survival rate using Erbitux®. Erbitux® and Vectibix® are both designed to treat cancer by blocking the activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) proteins.

Since commercial tests are already available to test for KRAS mutations and other proven treatments exist for colorectal cancer, oncologists who conduct advance testing could spare many patients the side effects of Erbitux® and Vectibux® treatments that would ultimately prove ineffective in treating their form of cancer. As one doctor not involved with this KRAS research said,

“I believe it is now warranted to test all patients being considered for these agents.”

Gail Eckhardt, MD
University of Colorado Denver

If you’d like to learn more, click here to read the complete article
featured in the June 10, 2008, edition of the NCI Cancer Bulletin.

Source: NCI Cancer Bulletin

Technorati Tags: genetic counseling; metastatic cancer; personalized medicine; patient-centered health

Wake Forest Finds Oxaliplatin Dosage for Peritoneal Cancer

Lisa — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:54:53 +0000

Researchers from Wake Forest University have completed a Phase I study that may help improve the survival rate for patients with appendix cancer or colorectal cancer that’s spread to their abdomen.

Wake Forest’s study identified the maximum amount of a chemotherapy drug peritoneal cancer patients can successfully tolerate during Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC) treatments following cancer surgery.

Wake Forest’s study included 15 colorectal and appendiceal cancer patients who underwent surgery to remove as much of their cancer as possible, but whose disease had spread to lining of the abdominal cavity.

Wake Forest’s investigation indicated that doses containing 200 mg/m2 of the drug oxaliplatin (US brand name Eloxatin) were well tolerated by the study population when administered during two-hour IHPC sessions. IHPC is a chemoperfusion process where the body cavity is heated before chemotherapy drugs are circulated throughout the abdomen. It is done following cytoreductive surgery to kill cancer cells that are left behind.

Doses of 250mg/m2 were also attempted, but resulted in high toxicity levels.

Oxaliplatin is already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and has been proven to be an effective treatment for many colorectal cancers. Previous studies have indicated that heating before oxaliplatin is administered increases its cancer-killing capabilities, but an effective dose had to be determined before studies could progress. As one Wake Forest researcher said,

“Based on the data from this phase I study, we propose to conduct a larger trial with oxaliplatin dose to study its efficacy in improving outcomes in patients with peritoneal carcinoma.”

John H. Stewart IV, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery,
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Findings from the Wake Forest study were presented at the 61st Annual Symposium of the Society of Surgical Oncology, held March 13-16, 2008, in Chicago.

If you’d like to learn more about other peritoneal cancer studies being conducted, you can visit the ClinicalTrials.gov web site.

Source: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

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

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

MGH Microchip Device Isolates Circulating Tumor Cells

Lisa — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 13:48:06 +0000

Scientists from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) BioMicroMechanical Systems (BioMEMS) Resource Center and the MGH Cancer Center have developed a new microchip-based device that can isolate circulating tumor cells (CTC) in a blood sample.

The new CTC-chip is a business-card sized silicon chip covered with almost 80,000 microscopic posts smaller than a human hair. The specially designed posts are coated with antibodies that act like a glue so the tumor cells will adhere to them.

Unlike the current technologies used to detect CTCs, this test doesn’t require any pre-processing of the blood samples so fragile CTCs aren’t destroyed before they can be counted.

To evaluate the device, the researchers took blood samples from cancer patients with breast, colorectal, lung, pancreatic and prostate tumors as well as healthy control subjects. The CTC-chip produced a 99% sensitivity rating in the patients with cancer and registered no CTCs in samples from cancer-free control volunteers.

Although more studies will be required before the CTC-chip is ready for clinical use, the researchers are optimistic this new device will one day give oncologists a way to quickly monitor how patients are responding to therapy. As one of the scientists explained,

“Some of these tumors have several potential drugs to choose from, and the ability to monitor therapeutic response in real time with this device – which has an exquisite sensitivity to CTCs – could rapidly signal whether a treatment is working or if another option should be tried.”

Mehmet Toner, PhD
Director, BioMEMS Resource Center
Massachusetts General Hospital

If you’d like to learn more about this project, details have been published in the December 20, 2007, edition of Nature.

Source: HarvardScience

Related Links: ajc.com; henryfordhealth.org

Tags: Daniel Haber, MD, PhD; Ronald Tompkins, MD, ScD; nanofluidics; nanobiotechnology; Boston; Harvard Medical School; Shriner’s Hospital; metastatic disease

Diabetic Women Have Higher Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Lisa — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:19:06 +0000

Research conducted by the University of Minnesota shows women with diabetes are 50 percent more likely to develop colorectal cancer than non-diabetic women.

To perform their study, the team analyzed data on over 45,000 women who participated in a large-scale breast cancer study conducted at 29 medical facilities during the 1970s. The records indicated females diagnosed with diabetes were 1.5 times more likely to develop tumors in the colon and rectum than those without the metabolic disorder.

According to the study’s lead author, Dr Andrew Flood, elevated insulin levels may play a part in promoting colorectal cancer, and possibly others such as pancreatic cancer. As he stated,

“Colorectal cancer and type II diabetes share a number of common factors, including obesity, so it is interesting to see the direct line between these two conditions.”

Andrew Flood, PhD
Asst Professor, Epidemiology and Community Health
University of Minnesota School of Public Health &
University of Minnesota Cancer Center

Until more is known about the correlation between diabetes and cancer, experts suggest that diabetics effectively manage their glucose levels and consider reducing the time between colonoscopies so any potential problems can be detected early.

Results of the study were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s 6th Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research held December 5-8, 2007, in Philadelphia.

Source: ABC News

Related Links: AACR News; UMCC 2007 News Release; Reuters

Tags: polyps; gastroenterology; gastrointestinal cancers; cancer risk factors

Cancer Survivors Pass On Survival Traits to Children

Lisa — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:46:20 +0000

Results of a Swedish study published in the November 2007 issue of The Lancet Oncology show children of parents who survived certain cancers are more likely to survive the disease if it strikes them too.

To arrive at their conclusion, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Söder Hospital, studied data on over three million families and a million cancer patients. Their investigation revealed that children who had a parent die of breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer within 10 years of diagnosis were significantly more likely to die if they developed the same disease than a child who had a parent survive at least 10 years. The amount of increased risk for the non-survivor child ranged from 39 percent to 107 percent depending on which type of cancer was involved.

The Swedish team attributes the wide difference in survival rates to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, but the statistics strongly suggest cancer survival traits are passed on.

Scientists hope this new information on familial survival rates will be useful to physicians and families who are deciding which form of treatment or prevention is most appropriate.

Source: Reuters