Sunday, September 25, 2022
Ultra-processed foods linked to colorectal cancer risk in men
Photo credit – Wolfman via Creative Commons
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 25, 2022 – Men who consumed large amounts of ultra-processed foods had a 29 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer than men who consumed less of such foods while the same correlation was not found in women, a new study shows.
Ultra-processed foods include convenience pre-cooked and instant meals that are also high in added sugars and low in fiber and tend to contribute to weight gain and obesity. These foods include such ready-to-eat products like sausage, bacon, ham, fish cakes.
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| Photo credit – Wolfman via Creative Commons |
Ultra-processed foods include convenience pre-cooked and instant meals that are also high in added sugars and low in fiber and tend to contribute to weight gain and obesity. These foods include such ready-to-eat products like sausage, bacon, ham, fish cakes.
Saturday, July 9, 2022
New research shows higher colorectal cancer deaths among young in NE Great Lakes region
New research from the Cleveland Clinic shows newly identified hotspots (red circles)
young-onset colorectal cancer – Image credit Cleveland Clinic
CANCER DIGEST – July 9, 2022 – Young people are dying of colorectal cancer in greater numbers in the Midwest and northeastern Great Lakes region of the US, according to a new study by the Lerner Research Institute and the Center for Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer at the Cleveland Clinic.
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| New research from the Cleveland Clinic shows newly identified hotspots (red circles) young-onset colorectal cancer – Image credit Cleveland Clinic |
CANCER DIGEST – July 9, 2022 – Young people are dying of colorectal cancer in greater numbers in the Midwest and northeastern Great Lakes region of the US, according to a new study by the Lerner Research Institute and the Center for Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer at the Cleveland Clinic.
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Researchers think they now know how exercise reduces bowel cancer risk
CANCER DIGEST – April 9, 2022 – It has long been known that exercise reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, but the biological mechanism for how it does that has been unknown, until now.
Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK believe they have identified the exercise-released substance that affects cancer. Their study first appeared online Feb. 25, 2022 in the International Journal of Cancer.
Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK believe they have identified the exercise-released substance that affects cancer. Their study first appeared online Feb. 25, 2022 in the International Journal of Cancer.
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Findings show more colorectal cancer patients eligible for immunotherapy
RAS Mutations in green were found
to be immunotherapy sensitive
CANCER DIGEST – Dec. 19, 2021 – More colorectal cancer patients may be eligible for immunotherapy than previously thought, a new study shows.
Colorectal patients with certain cancer promoting mutations currently are not offered targeted immunotherapy because their tumors have mutations thought to cause resistance to such drugs.
New research however at the Salk Institute, led by Edward Stites, MD, challenges the blanket contraindication for these patients. The study was published Dec. 14, 2021 in the journal Cell Reports.
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| RAS Mutations in green were found to be immunotherapy sensitive |
Colorectal patients with certain cancer promoting mutations currently are not offered targeted immunotherapy because their tumors have mutations thought to cause resistance to such drugs.
New research however at the Salk Institute, led by Edward Stites, MD, challenges the blanket contraindication for these patients. The study was published Dec. 14, 2021 in the journal Cell Reports.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Can gut bacteria predict colon cancer?
The study suggests that the presence of a certain type
of bacteria called B. fragilis might push gut tissue toward
inflammation rather than protect from it.
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 18, 2021 – Can the presence of certain types of bacteria in the gut predict the formation of colon polyps? That’s the question Dr. William De Paolo, at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle asks.
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| The study suggests that the presence of a certain type of bacteria called B. fragilis might push gut tissue toward inflammation rather than protect from it. |
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 18, 2021 – Can the presence of certain types of bacteria in the gut predict the formation of colon polyps? That’s the question Dr. William De Paolo, at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle asks.
Friday, September 10, 2021
Extended antibiotics use linked to colon cancer
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 7, 2021 – Researchers at Umea University in Sweden have found that both men and women who took antibiotics for over six months ran a 17 percent greater risk of developing cancer of the ascending or upper colon than similar patients who were not prescribed antibiotics. The study was published in the Sept. 1, 2021 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 7, 2021 – Researchers at Umea University in Sweden have found that both men and women who took antibiotics for over six months ran a 17 percent greater risk of developing cancer of the ascending or upper colon than similar patients who were not prescribed antibiotics. The study was published in the Sept. 1, 2021 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Saturday, August 21, 2021
Higher vitamin D intake linked to lower colorectal cancer risk in younger women
CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 21, 2021 – Another study has shown a protective effect of vitamin D against colorectal cancer. The latest shows that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D, mainly from dietary sources, may protect against colorectal cancer in younger people.
The study led by Kimmie Ng MD, MPH and Edward Giovannucci, MD, DSc of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute involved analyzing data from the Nurses’ Health Study II an ongoing study of 94,205 women 25-42 years old. It was published online July 6, 2021 in the journal Gastroenterology.
The study led by Kimmie Ng MD, MPH and Edward Giovannucci, MD, DSc of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute involved analyzing data from the Nurses’ Health Study II an ongoing study of 94,205 women 25-42 years old. It was published online July 6, 2021 in the journal Gastroenterology.
Saturday, May 22, 2021
Agency lowers age for beginning colorectal screening to 45
Click to play video
Cancer Digest -- May 21, 2021 -- With the recent rise in colorectal cancer cases in younger people the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), has lowered its recommendation for colorectal cancer screening from age 50 to 45.
The agency published its new guideline in the May 18, 2021 issue of JAMA, re-aligning it with those of the American Cancer Society, which lowered the age for initial screening to 45 years in 2018.
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| Click to play video |
Saturday, May 8, 2021
Sugary drinks linked to increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer in young women
CANCER DIGEST – May 8, 2021 – Young women who drank two or more servings per day had just over twice the risk of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer before age 50 than those who drank much less, a new study finds.
The study led by Yin Cao, ScD, an associate professor of surgery and of medicine in the Division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University analyzed data from 41,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study II, a large population study tracked the health of nearly 116,500 female nurses from 1991 to 2015. The study appears in the May 6 journal Gut.
The study led by Yin Cao, ScD, an associate professor of surgery and of medicine in the Division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University analyzed data from 41,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study II, a large population study tracked the health of nearly 116,500 female nurses from 1991 to 2015. The study appears in the May 6 journal Gut.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Coffee continues to show benefits for patients with cancer
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 19, 2020 – A cup of coffee a day appears to lengthen survival for patients treated for advanced colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, a new study shows.
In the study researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the MAYO Clinic is based on data from a large observational study nested within a clinical trial. The results align with earlier studies that also showed a link between coffee consumption and improved outcomes in patients with localized colorectal cancer. The findings appear in the Sept. 17, 2020 JAMA Oncology.
In the study researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the MAYO Clinic is based on data from a large observational study nested within a clinical trial. The results align with earlier studies that also showed a link between coffee consumption and improved outcomes in patients with localized colorectal cancer. The findings appear in the Sept. 17, 2020 JAMA Oncology.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Screening cuts risk of dying from colorectal cancer nearly in half
Credit University of South Australia
CANCER DIGEST – Sept 21, 2019 – Screening cuts the risk of dying from colorectal cancer by as much as 45 percent researchers say. A new Australian analysis of 12, 906 records found that 37 percent of the patients had pre-diagnostic colonoscopies and were more likely to live longer than those who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer after experiencing symptoms.
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| Credit University of South Australia |
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Could a box on your doorstep prompt more colon cancer screening?
Television ads for Cologuard® promote the ease of fecal
immunochemical test, or FIT kits for colon cancer.
CANCER DIGEST – Mar. 23, 2019 – You may have seen the friendly talking box pitching the simplicity of getting screened for colorectal cancer. "No need for time off for special prep, because I use the DNA in your stool to find colon cancer."
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| Television ads for Cologuard® promote the ease of fecal immunochemical test, or FIT kits for colon cancer. |
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Could TV watching boost your risk of colorectal cancer?
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Higher levels of vitamin D linked to lower colorectal cancer risk in women
CANCER DIGEST – June 15, 2018 – People with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood appear to have protection against colorectal cancer, according to a new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining bone health, but research has produced clues that it may also lower the risk of colorectal cancer due to effects on cell growth and regulation, however the studies aimed to show a protective effect have been inconsistent.
Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining bone health, but research has produced clues that it may also lower the risk of colorectal cancer due to effects on cell growth and regulation, however the studies aimed to show a protective effect have been inconsistent.
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Few people recognize alcohol as a cancer risk
CANCER DIGEST – Nov. 10, 2017 – Alcohol use increases the risk of breast, colon, esophageal and oral cancers according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) the largest organization of cancer doctors in the world.
More worrisome to the doctors were results of its National Cancer Opinion Survey they conducted earlier this year that showed 70 percent of Americans do not recognize drinking alcohol as a risk factor for cancer.
More worrisome to the doctors were results of its National Cancer Opinion Survey they conducted earlier this year that showed 70 percent of Americans do not recognize drinking alcohol as a risk factor for cancer.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Strength exercise lowers cancer death risk
CANCER DIGEST – Nov. 6, 2017 – People who do push-ups and sit-ups, or other weight-based training have a 23 percent overall lower risk of dying prematurely and a 31 percent lower risk of dying from cancer, according to a new Australian study.
In the largest study to compare the mortality outcomes of different types of exercise researchers found the link between strength-based exercise and death due to different causes.
In the largest study to compare the mortality outcomes of different types of exercise researchers found the link between strength-based exercise and death due to different causes.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Diet and lifestyle play a major role in colorectal cancer
CANCER DIGEST – Sept. 16, 2017 – Nearly half of all colorectal cancer can be prevented with exercise and dietary changes, research shows, and a new study confirms that exercise and whole grains lower the risk while alcohol, red meat, processed meats and obesity increase the risk.
The new study by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund confirms earlier research. Led by Dr. Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health the study was published in the AICR’s own newsletter. It analyzed data from 99 previous studies that involved a total of 29 million people, including more than 250,000 diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
The new study by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund confirms earlier research. Led by Dr. Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health the study was published in the AICR’s own newsletter. It analyzed data from 99 previous studies that involved a total of 29 million people, including more than 250,000 diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Where your fat is carried can predict cancer risk
CANCER DIGEST – May 27, 2017 – Scientists have found that carrying fat around your middle could be as good an indicator of cancer risk as body mass index (BMI), according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.
This is the first study comparing adult body measurements in such a standardized way for obesity-related cancers. The study combined data from more than 43,000 participants who had been followed for an average of 12 years and more than 1,600 people were diagnosed with an obesity-related cancer.
CANCER DIGEST – May 27, 2017 – Scientists have found that carrying fat around your middle could be as good an indicator of cancer risk as body mass index (BMI), according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.
This is the first study comparing adult body measurements in such a standardized way for obesity-related cancers. The study combined data from more than 43,000 participants who had been followed for an average of 12 years and more than 1,600 people were diagnosed with an obesity-related cancer.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Nanovaccine shows promise for variety of cancers
Laser light is scattered by nanoparticles
in a solution of the UTSW-developed
nanovaccine. – Photo courtesy UTSW
CANCER DIGEST – May 17, 2017 – In another approach using nanotechnology to boost the body’s immune system to attack cancer, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern’s Simmons Cancer Center, have shown in a proof-of-concept study that a nanovaccine extended survival in mouse models of a variety of cancers.
The study published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology showed effective anti-tumor action in tumor models of melanoma, colorectal cancer, and HPV-related cancers of the cervix, head, neck and anogenital cancers.
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| Laser light is scattered by nanoparticles in a solution of the UTSW-developed nanovaccine. – Photo courtesy UTSW |
The study published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology showed effective anti-tumor action in tumor models of melanoma, colorectal cancer, and HPV-related cancers of the cervix, head, neck and anogenital cancers.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Follow-up colonoscopy could substantially cut cancer risk
CANCER DIGEST – April 29, 2017 – As much as you might hate it, undergoing that follow-up colonoscopy might cut your risk of colorectal cancer by half, a new analysis of colonoscopy data shows.
British researchers looked at data for more than 250,000 patients and identified approximately 12,000 people who were diagnosed with intermediate-risk adenomas across 17 UK hospitals. These patients were monitored over an eight year period, and the incidence of bowel cancer was compared in those who had a follow-up colonoscopy with those who had not.
British researchers looked at data for more than 250,000 patients and identified approximately 12,000 people who were diagnosed with intermediate-risk adenomas across 17 UK hospitals. These patients were monitored over an eight year period, and the incidence of bowel cancer was compared in those who had a follow-up colonoscopy with those who had not.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Researcher closing in on less invasive colon cancer test
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| Manasi Shah, Ph.D. |
Colonoscopy is currently the gold standard for detecting cancer, but it is a 2-day procedure that is expensive and dreaded by many. Patients need to drink a disagreeable laxative preparation to clean out the colon one day before the doctor threads a flexible colonscope through the intestines to look for and removing suspicious polyps.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Long-term aspirin use continue to show benefits
Yin Cao, MPH, ScD
CANCER DIGEST – April 9, 2017 – The evidence supporting the benefits of low-dose daily aspirin to prevent cancer continues to grow. In a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting taking place in Washington, D.C. this week, a large long-term study of nurses shows that the overall risk of dying was 7 percent lower for women and 11 percent lower for men who had regularly taken aspirin.
The Nurses’ Health System Study began in 1976 and has followed more than 280,000 nurses since that time using repeated questionnaire and follow-up assessments since the study began.
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| Yin Cao, MPH, ScD |
CANCER DIGEST – April 9, 2017 – The evidence supporting the benefits of low-dose daily aspirin to prevent cancer continues to grow. In a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting taking place in Washington, D.C. this week, a large long-term study of nurses shows that the overall risk of dying was 7 percent lower for women and 11 percent lower for men who had regularly taken aspirin.
The Nurses’ Health System Study began in 1976 and has followed more than 280,000 nurses since that time using repeated questionnaire and follow-up assessments since the study began.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
ACA increased colorectal cancer screening
The study’s coauthors are Brett Lissenden, a fifth-year
student in UVA’s economics Ph.D. program, and Aaron
Yao, an assistant professor in the Department of Public
Health Sciences. (Photo by Dan Addison, University
Communications)
CANCER DIGEST – Jan. 21, 2017 – The Affordable Care Act increased cancer screenings, and especially increased colorectal cancer screenings between 2011 and 2013, say researchers at the University of Virginia.
One of the main goals of the law that came to be known as Obamacare was to reduce healthcare costs in part by increasing coverage for prevention care on the theory that treating certain diseases such as cancer is less expensive when caught early when the disease is more treatable.
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| The study’s coauthors are Brett Lissenden, a fifth-year student in UVA’s economics Ph.D. program, and Aaron Yao, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications) |
One of the main goals of the law that came to be known as Obamacare was to reduce healthcare costs in part by increasing coverage for prevention care on the theory that treating certain diseases such as cancer is less expensive when caught early when the disease is more treatable.
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Patch eliminates colorectal cancer
Researchers at MIT are developing
an adhesive patch that can stick to
a tumor site, either before or after
surgery. – Image courtesy IMES
CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 6, 2016 – One day your doctor may use a patch, much like nicotine patches used to help people stop smoking, to eradicate colon cancer and keep it from coming back, according to a report in the journal Nature Materials.
In an experiment done in mice, researchers at MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, have shown that the patch, designed to deliver a triple combination of therapies, was effective whether the tumor was completely removed or not. By contrast, 40 percent of the mice with no patch applied after tumor removal, saw tumor recurrence.
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Researchers at MIT are developing
an adhesive patch that can stick to
a tumor site, either before or after
surgery. – Image courtesy IMES
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CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 6, 2016 – One day your doctor may use a patch, much like nicotine patches used to help people stop smoking, to eradicate colon cancer and keep it from coming back, according to a report in the journal Nature Materials.
In an experiment done in mice, researchers at MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, have shown that the patch, designed to deliver a triple combination of therapies, was effective whether the tumor was completely removed or not. By contrast, 40 percent of the mice with no patch applied after tumor removal, saw tumor recurrence.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Blocking glutamine may starve colorectal cancer cells
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| A molecular model of L-glutamine. Image courtesy Jynto via Wikimedia Commons |
CANCER DIGEST – July 31, 2016 – A new clinical trial set to get under way later this summer will try to determine if denying certain types of colorectal cancer cells a specific nutrient will starve them to death.
The Case Western Reserve University trial is based on laboratory and mouse studies showing that colorectal cancer cells with a genetic mutation called PIK3CA died when deprived of the nutrient glutamine, which is an amino acid used by cells to make proteins. This mutation is located in a gene critical for cell division and movement, and is found in approximately one third of all colorectal cancers.Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in human blood and is mostly made in muscle tissue.
0 commentsMonday, August 17, 2015
Aspirin may reduce bowel cancer risk for obese people
Two examples of colorectal tumors
– via Wikipedia
CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 17, 2015 – A regular dose of aspirin reduces the long-term risk of cancer in those who are overweight with a family history of the disease, an international study has found.
The large clinical trial is part of an ongoing CAPP 2 study that is being conducted by scientists and clinicians from over 43 centers in 16 countries, and has been following nearly 1,000 patients with Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder which affects genes responsible for detecting and repairing DNA damage.
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| Two examples of colorectal tumors – via Wikipedia |
The large clinical trial is part of an ongoing CAPP 2 study that is being conducted by scientists and clinicians from over 43 centers in 16 countries, and has been following nearly 1,000 patients with Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder which affects genes responsible for detecting and repairing DNA damage.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Drug combination extends survival in advanced colorectal cancer
CANCER DIGEST – May 13, 2015 – A drug developed 50 years ago and abandoned because it was considered to be too toxic, extended survival for colorectal cancer patients whose standard treatments were no longer working.
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston led the clinical trial involving 800 patients worldwide. Results showed the drug in combination with another agent lengthened the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer by an average of almost two months. All participants had metastatic colorectal cancer that was progressing despite previous treatment.
Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston led the clinical trial involving 800 patients worldwide. Results showed the drug in combination with another agent lengthened the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer by an average of almost two months. All participants had metastatic colorectal cancer that was progressing despite previous treatment.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Diet swap has dramatic effects on colon cancer risk
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Toxic mushroom may offer new cancer therapy
CANCER DIGEST – April 22, 2015 – For some time cancer scientists have considered the toxin found in “death cap” mushrooms, called alpha-amanatin, as a possible colorectal cancer treatment. While it has been shown to kill cancer cells, its drawback has been the unacceptable damage it causes to the liver.
In a study published April 22, 2015 in the journal Nature, researchers led by Xiongbin Lu, PhD at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may have found a way to limit the liver toxicity of alpha-amanatin.
CANCER DIGEST – April 22, 2015 – For some time cancer scientists have considered the toxin found in “death cap” mushrooms, called alpha-amanatin, as a possible colorectal cancer treatment. While it has been shown to kill cancer cells, its drawback has been the unacceptable damage it causes to the liver.
In a study published April 22, 2015 in the journal Nature, researchers led by Xiongbin Lu, PhD at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may have found a way to limit the liver toxicity of alpha-amanatin.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Men’s midlife fitness linked to lower risk of cancer and death
CANCER DIGEST – Mar. 26, 2015 – Men who exercise and stay fit, especially in midlife, could be lowering their risk of lung cancer and colorectal cancer, but not prostate cancer, researchers say. Before you say two out of three isn’t bad, while fitness didn’t protect against getting prostate cancer fit men appear to be less likely to die of the disease.
Led by Dr. Susan Lakoski of the University of Vermont, Burlington, the researchers looked at Medicare data from 1999 to 2009 for a link between midlife cardiorespiratory fitness and cancer and survival following a cancer diagnosis at the Medicare age of 65 or older.
Led by Dr. Susan Lakoski of the University of Vermont, Burlington, the researchers looked at Medicare data from 1999 to 2009 for a link between midlife cardiorespiratory fitness and cancer and survival following a cancer diagnosis at the Medicare age of 65 or older.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Colorectal Cancer Increasing in Young Adults
Photo courtesy: Journal of
Young Adult Oncology
CANCER DIGEST – Jan. 23, 2015 – The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among young adults ages 20-39 years has increased during the past 20-30 years, despite declining rates of CRC for the U.S. population overall, a new analysis shows.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, led by Kathryn Singh, MPH, MS, analyzed more than 231,500 CRC cases over a 22-year period, including 5,617 cases affecting young adults. The study appears online in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
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| Photo courtesy: Journal of Young Adult Oncology |
CANCER DIGEST – Jan. 23, 2015 – The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among young adults ages 20-39 years has increased during the past 20-30 years, despite declining rates of CRC for the U.S. population overall, a new analysis shows.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, led by Kathryn Singh, MPH, MS, analyzed more than 231,500 CRC cases over a 22-year period, including 5,617 cases affecting young adults. The study appears online in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Chemo nearly doubles survival rate for advanced colorectal cancer
Researchers led by Chung-Yuan Hu, M.P.H., Ph.D., of the University of Texas MD Anderson Center, Houston, examined patterns of primary tumor resection (surgery) and survival in stage IV colorectal cancer in the United States. Their study appears today in the journal JAMA Surgery.
0 comments
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Colorectal cancer screening saves lives
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| Courtesy American Cancer Society YouTube |
Monday, March 31, 2014
Aspirin after colon cancer therapy linked to immune system
JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE – Mar. 31, 2014 –Patients who took aspirin after surgery for colon cancer had a better chance of surviving if the tumor expressed a particular immune system antibody generator. Researchers at Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands, examined tumor tissue to try to determine the mechanism by which aspirin might increase survival. Of the 999 patients, 182 (18.2 percent) were aspirin users and among them there were 69 deaths (37.9 percent). There were 396 deaths among 817 nonusers of aspirin (48.5 percent). The survival benefit of aspirin use was greatest for those whose tumors expressed a protein called HLA-1, which is part of the signaling the immune system uses to determine which cells to attack.
FDA panel not impressed with one colon cancer test, more favorable to another
CBS-DC NEWS – Mar. 24, 2014 – An FDA advisory panel was not impressed with the Epi proColon genetic test that has been approved in Europe and Argentina. In the manufacturer's key study involving more than 1,500 participants (including 44 with cancer confirmed by colonoscopy), the test detected 68 percent of the cancers, but only correctly ruled out cancer 79 percent of the time, in other words it had a high false-positive rate. The panel noted that this specificity value completely failed to meet the prespecified target of 85 percent. The panel also favorably reviewed a similar test, called Cologuard, by Exact Sciences, that uses a DNA marker to detect cancer. In a study of 10,000 people, the test correctly detected 92.3 percent of cancers, and correctly ruled out cancer 84 percent of the time. The panel is expected to recommend the Cologuard test for approval with conditions for additional research following marketing of the test.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Big drop in colon cancer rate
MEDICAL NEWS TODAY – Mar. 17, 2014 – Colon and rectal cancers have dropped dramatically as older Americans get colonoscopies a new report from the American Cancer Society has found. While colonoscopies have nearly tripled among those 50 and older, and the colon cancer rate has dropped by 30 percent over the last 10 years. The report appears in the organization’s Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2014, which is due out in the March/April issue of the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
MEDICAL NEWS TODAY – Mar. 17, 2014 – Colon and rectal cancers have dropped dramatically as older Americans get colonoscopies a new report from the American Cancer Society has found. While colonoscopies have nearly tripled among those 50 and older, and the colon cancer rate has dropped by 30 percent over the last 10 years. The report appears in the organization’s Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2014, which is due out in the March/April issue of the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
May 10, 2010 – ATLANTA (Cancer Digest) – Cost of cancer care doubled? So have other healthcare costs\
April 27, 2010 – DURHAM, N.C. – (Cancer Digest) – Use and costs of imaging rising faster than cost of cancer care
April 19, 2010 – CHICAGO (Cancer Digest) – Volume isn't only factor to consider for colon surgery
