Cancer of the colon is the disease characterized by the development of malignant cells in the lining or epithelium of the first and longest portion of the large intestine. Malignant cells have lost normal control mechanisms governing growth. These cells may invade surrounding local tissue, or they may spread throughout the body and invade other organ systems.
Study finds high risk of GI cancers among childhood cancer survivors – Survivors of childhood cancers are at an increased risk of another battle with cancer later in life, according to new research published by the Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers found that childhood cancer survivors develop these malignancies at a rate nearly five times that of the general population.
A recent analysis of data collected in the National CT Colonography Trial conducted by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network confirms the efficacy of the exam as a front line colorectal cancer screening tool for seniors – Computerized tomographic (CT) colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, is comparable to standard colonoscopy in its ability to accurately detect cancer and precancerous polyps in people ages 65 and older.
Drug improves survival of colorectal cancer patients, trial results show – Regorafenib – an investigational drug – slowed the progression of tumors and lengthened the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. This is the first novel agent in eight years to show improvement in overall survival of colon cancer patients who have run out of treatment options.
Cancer screening among older adults appears common — What is the Right Cancer Screening Rate for Older Adults? – A high percentage of adults age 75 years and older continue to report receiving cancer screenings, despite U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommending against routine screening for breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer for patients age 75 years and older.
High fiber diet linked to reduced risk of colorectal cancer – Dietary fiber, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer – Eating a diet high in fibre, particularly from cereal and whole grains, is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Intake of dietary fibre and whole grains is known to help protect against cardiovascular disease, but its association with colorectal cancer risk is less clear. And, although the idea that dietary fibre reduces the risk of colorectal cancer has been around for nearly 40 years.
New class of cancer drugs could work in colon cancers with genetic mutation, U-M study finds — 15 percent of colorectal cancers have mutation that responds to PARP inhibitors – A class of drugs that shows promise in breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA gene mutations could potentially benefit colorectal cancer patients with a different genetic mutation, a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds.
Activation of Biomarker Appears Associated With Improved Survival Among Obese Patients With Colorectal Cancer – Among obese patients, activation of the protein biomarker CTNNB1 was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival and overall survival, whereas post-diagnosis physical activity was associated with better colorectal cancer-specific survival among patients negative for CTNNB1.
Stanford research moves nanomedicine one step closer to reality – A class of engineered nanoparticles — gold-centered spheres smaller than viruses — has been shown safe when administered by two alternative routes in a mouse study led by investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Breakthrough in cancer vaccine research — New research could lead to improved vaccines for cancerous tumors – Researchers at the University of Cambridge hope to revolutionise cancer therapy after discovering one of the reasons why many previous attempts to harness the immune system to treat cancerous tumours have failed.
New test measures DNA methylation levels to predict colon cancer – An investigational DNA methylation test could alter the screening landscape for colorectal cancer, according to data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research special conference on Colorectal Cancer: Biology to Therapy, held here Oct. 27-30, 2010.
Cancer deaths continue to drop in USA – The continued drop in overall cancer mortality rates over the last 20 years has averted more than three-quarters of a million (767,000) cancer deaths according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.
New figures on cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality but big variations — Large variations in mortality exist between countries and between men and women – New figures on deaths from cancer in Europe show a steady decline in mortality between the periods 1990-1994 and 2000-2004. Deaths from all cancers in the European Union (EU) between these two periods fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women, with a large drop among the middle-aged population.
