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Patients Prefer More Invasive Form of Colon Scan: Study

Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 22 – Patients undergoing colonoscopies frequently complain about having the procedure, which involves threading a camera through the colon to detect precancerous or cancerous growths. But a new study has found that patients overwhelmingly preferred colonoscopy to the less invasive and less time-consuming CT-based colon scan. Colonoscopy has long been the standard of care for colon cancer screening. Computed tomography (CT) colonography – sometimes called "virtual colonoscopy" – is a newer technology and involves simply scanning the abdomen to look for abnormalities. Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world but can largely be prevented with adequate screening. For this study, 90 patients at average risk for colon cancer underwent CT colonography followed by a colonoscopy within the following two hours. They then answered 13 questions regarding their ... Read more

Related support groups: Colonoscopy, Colorectal Cancer, Computed Tomography, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Colonoscopy May Detect Curable Cancer in Elderly: Study

Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 22 – Colonoscopies helped doctors detect a high rate of curable cancer in elderly people who had the screening for the first time, a new study indicates. The findings suggest that screenings should be made available to otherwise healthy elderly people who have never been tested, Dr. Therese Kerwel, research fellow at Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners, and colleagues from Spectrum Health Medical Group in Grand Rapids, Mich., concluded. For the study, the investigators examined information on 903 outpatient colonoscopies among elderly patients. Specifically, they investigated why these people, aged 76 to 85, underwent a colonoscopy and analyzed the results of the screenings. The study revealed that patients who had never had a colonoscopy before had a cancer rate of 9.4 percent, much higher than those who had had the procedure before. The findings are scheduled for ... Read more

Related support groups: Colonoscopy, Colorectal Cancer, Diagnosis and Investigation, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Middle-Aged Diabetics May Need Earlier Colon Checks

Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 22 – Researchers who say they've linked type 2 diabetes with earlier development of precancerous colon lesions recommend people with the blood sugar disorder start colorectal screenings at a younger age than others. "Based on our data, it implies that people with diabetes should get screenings earlier, possibly at age 40, rather than at age 50," said Dr. Hongha Vu, a clinical gastroenterology fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. However, another expert said more research is needed before making that recommendation. Also, the researchers cautioned that they can't say for sure that diabetes by itself raises the risk of the precancerous lesions and further study is required. Experts know that diabetes is linked with an increased risk of colon and other cancers. Vu's team set out to determine if people with diabetes develop precancerous lesions, also called polyps or ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Colorectal Cancer, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Common Blood Pressure Drugs May Not Cut Colon Cancer Risk

Posted 13 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 14 – Widely used blood pressure medications called beta blockers do not cut a person's odds of developing colon cancer, a new study contends. Beta blockers, which include drugs such as metoprolol, carvedilol, propranolol and atenolol, are commonly prescribed to older adults for high blood pressure and heart conditions. Prior research has also linked use of the drugs to a decreased risk of cancer. This theory is based on animal and laboratory studies that found that the stress hormone norepinephrine can promote the growth and spread of cancer cells. Beta blockers inhibit this hormone's action. "One of the holy grails in the war on cancer is preventing angiogenesis, which is the growth of new blood vessels to feed tumor cells," explained Dr. David Robbins, associate chief of the Center for Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Some ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Metoprolol, Atenolol, Propranolol, Bystolic, Carvedilol, Coreg, Inderal, Bisoprolol, Toprol-XL, Lopressor, Colorectal Cancer, Sotalol, Nadolol

Exercise May Boost Survival in Breast, Colon Cancer

Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, May 8 – Being physically active might lengthen the lives of people with breast and colon cancer, a new study suggests. Exercise may also benefit patients with other cancers, but there is no substantial evidence to make that claim, the researchers added. "We have lots of data that says physical activity after a cancer diagnosis is generally safe and is associated with many improvements in overall quality of life, and these data suggest that it may even be beneficial in terms of prolonging life," said lead researcher Dr. Rachel Ballard-Barbash, associate director of the applied research program in the division of cancer control and population science at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. "For many years, we have tended to think of a diagnosis of cancer being fatal, but as we are diagnosing people much earlier and receiving effective treatment, they're living for a long time ... Read more

Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer

Healthy Behaviors Extend Life After Cancer, Experts Say

Posted 26 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, April 26 – A healthy lifestyle – including eating right, exercising and maintaining normal weight – can boost the odds of long-term cancer survival, especially for breast, colorectal or prostate cancer, according to new recommendations from the American Cancer Society. About one in 25 Americans is a cancer survivor. "Many ask, 'How can I keep the cancer from coming back?' " said Colleen Doyle, the cancer society's director of nutrition and physical activity. Cancer survivors often are advised to adopt healthy behaviors, including eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein; fitting in walking or other aerobic activity most days of the week; and keeping weight within a normal range, Doyle said. Research has shown that those steps can help prevent cancer, but there was little research showing that a healthy lifestyle could keep cancer from recurring, or ... Read more

Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Colorectal Cancer

Obese White Women Shying Away From Colon Cancer Screening

Posted 4 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 4 – Obese white women are less likely than normal-weight white women or blacks of any weight or gender to seek potentially life-saving colon cancer screenings, according to a new study. This reluctance is especially serious because obesity is associated with a higher risk for colon cancer and an increased risk of death from the disease, noted study leader Dr. Nisa Maruthur, an assistant professor in the general internal medicine division at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Being concerned about your weight usually is good, but here it appears to be keeping people from a test we know saves lives," Maruthur said in a Hopkins news release. "Obese white women may avoid screening because they feel stigmatized and embarrassed to disrobe for the tests." Colonoscopy and fecal occult blood tests are two methods of colon cancer screening. The U.S. ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Colorectal Cancer

Experimental Chemo Combo for Colon Cancer Disappoints

Posted 3 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 3 – Adding the drug cetuximab (brand name Erbitux) to standard chemotherapy after surgery for stage 3 colon cancer did not improve disease-free survival in patients, a new study concludes. Patients with stage 3 colon cancer who undergo surgery have a 50 percent chance of cure, and clinical trials have found that chemotherapy with the drugs leucovorin, fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (a regimen known as FOLFOX) after surgery can cut the odds for colon cancer's return. Staging refers to the severity of cancer. A stage 3 cancer has spread nearby, while a stage 4 cancer has spread to another organ. This study of almost 2,700 patients investigated the addition of cetuximab to the FOLFOX regimen and found that it provided no extra benefit. Three-year disease-free survival for patients who received the FOLFOX regimen alone ranged from 67 percent to 75 percent, compared with 65 ... Read more

Related support groups: Colorectal Cancer, Erbitux, Cetuximab

New Stool Test Might Aid in Early Detection of Colon Cancer

Posted 3 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 3 – A noninvasive stool test could help doctors detect early stage colorectal cancer and precancerous growths, a new study says. The test might help minimize false-positive results and prevent deaths associated with this type of cancer, said researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Exact Sciences, the company developing the test. Still, other issues remain, and experts say that the stool-based test won't replace colonoscopy anytime soon as the best means of spotting colon polyps or tumors. "For now, colonoscopy remains the undisputed winner when it comes to screening for colon cancer," said Dr. Lawrence Cohen, associate clinical professor of gastroenterology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He was not involved in the study. The research was to be presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research ... Read more

Related support groups: Colorectal Cancer

Immune-Based Drug Combo Might Extend Cancer Survival

Posted 2 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 2 – Cancer patients who receive a combination of low-dose interleukin-2 and retinoic acid after conventional therapy seem to live longer than those who don't get the combination. These new study findings, slated for presentation this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago, were seen across individuals with many different forms of advanced malignancies, including breast, lung and colon cancers. Retinoic acid is derived from vitamin A. Interleukin-2, a compound that fortifies the immune system, is approved at high doses to treat "metastatic" melanoma and kidney cancer. Metastatic means that a cancer has spread. The study showed that "these biological compounds may work at low doses. Bigger doses are not always better," said lead author Dr. Francesco Recchia, director of the oncology department at Civilian Hospital in Avezzano, ... Read more

Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Pancreatic Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Melanoma, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma - Metastatic, Gastric Cancer

Diabetes Drug Metformin Might Also Help Fight Cancer

Posted 1 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

SATURDAY, March 31 – A diabetes medication used by millions is now showing promise against a variety of different cancers. Two new clinical studies to be presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Chicago, found that metformin (also known by the brand name Glucophage, among others), appeared linked to a slowing in the rate of prostate cancer growth in certain patients, and in prolonging life for early-stage pancreatic cancer patients. Other studies, done either in the lab or in animals, also hint that the drug might have an effect against liver or oral tumors, as well as certain forms of melanoma. The findings have sparked interest in the cancer field and do seem promising, but much more research needs to be done before the drug can be recommended as a cancer treatment, experts said. "There are very exciting clues from laboratory ... Read more

Related support groups: Metformin, Breast Cancer, Glucophage, Colorectal Cancer, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Fortamet, Riomet

U.S. Cancer Death Rates Continue to Fall: Report

Posted 28 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 28 – Deaths from cancer in the United States continue to decline, health officials report. However, deaths from some types of cancers are on the increase and racial disparities remain in cancer deaths and diagnosis, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This annual report shows that a lot of the positive momentum we have seen in cancer control has continued," said report co-author Dr. Marcus Plescia, director of CDC's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. "We are still seeing decreases in the incidence in death rates for many cancers and particularly for many of the most common cancers." The focus of this report was obesity's impact on cancer. "That's important, because we don't think the public is aware of that," Plescia said. For six cancers, there is good evidence of a relationship between obesity and cancer: ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Smoking Cessation, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Melanoma

New Clues to Link Between Fatty Diet, Colon Cancer

Posted 16 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 15 – Researchers say they've discovered clues about how a fatty diet increases the risk of colon cancer. "There have always been questions about why things like diet and obesity are independent risk factors for colon cancer. This study suggests how and why high-fat diets are linked to colon cancer," lead author Carmen Sapienza, a professor of pathology in Temple University's Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, said in a university news release. He and his colleagues examined healthy colon tissue from colon cancer patients and found that epigenetic marks on genes involved in breaking down carbohydrates, fats and amino acids – which are all common in a fatty Western diet – seem to have been retrained. Epigenetic marks are chemical modifications that act as on/off switches for many genes, according to the release. "These foods are changing the ... Read more

Related support groups: Colorectal Cancer

New Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines Focus on Individual Risk

Posted 5 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 5 – New guidelines for colorectal cancer screening from the American College of Physicians (ACP) put the emphasis on individual risk. People at average risk of developing colorectal cancer should get screened starting at age 50, whereas people at high risk – those with inflammatory bowel disease or a personal or family history of the disease – should get screened starting at age 40 or earlier, according to the updated recommendations. The guidelines appear in the March 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. March is U.S. National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In arriving at the new guidelines, the ACP evaluated the quality of colorectal cancer screening guidelines from many medical organizations to develop a "take-home message" both to help physicians make decisions and to help patients discuss screenings with their doctor, explained Dr. Amir Qaseem, director ... Read more

Related support groups: Colorectal Cancer

Too Many Americans Skipping Colon Cancer Screening

Posted 2 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 2 – Approximately one in three U.S. adults between the ages of 50 and 75 who should be screened for colorectal cancer have not been, according to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. As National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month kicks off, the society is reminding older adults about the benefits of a colonoscopy exam to screen for colorectal cancer, which is largely preventable, while offering tips on getting screened. "Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers because the majority of colorectal cancers arise from precancerous growths in the colon called polyps, which can be found during a colonoscopy screening exam and removed before they turn into cancer," Dr. Gregory Ginsberg, president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), said in a society news release. ASGE experts say everyone should be screened starting at ... Read more

Related support groups: Colonoscopy, Colorectal Cancer

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