Cancer News: Colon
Metastatic colorectal patients benefit from cetuximab vs bevacizumab
Patients with a specific type of metastatic colorectal cancer ("KRAS exon 2 wild type") achieved longer overall survival by receiving cetuximab vs bevacizumab.
Genetic tumor testing recommended for colorectal cancer patients
Up to 25% of colorectal cancer patients in the USA have familial risk. A new guideline recommends genetic testing for all patients newly diagnosed with the disease.
First non-invasive DNA screening test for colorectal cancer approved
The US FDA has approved the first stool-based colorectal screening test that can detect the presence of precancerous or cancerous growths via the blood and DNA.
Screening Cuts Colon Cancer Mortality
Colorectal cancer screening -- be it colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or fecal occult-blood testing -- reduced risks of colorectal cancer mortality, researchers reported in two studies.
Clues Found to Aspirin's Benefit in Colon Cancer
Aspirin's survival benefit in colon cancer correlated with the drug's antiplatelet activity but was not associated with a common tumor mutation or an enzyme linked to cancer etiology and pathogenesis, an analysis of 1,000 tumor samples showed.
Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer May Benefit Seniors
(HealthDay News) -- Seniors who have minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer are much less likely to end up in a nursing home after being discharged from the hospital than those who have open surgery, a new study finds.
Fecal blood test cuts colon cancer deaths
SAN DIEGO -- Annual fecal occult blood screening reduced the mortality associated with colorectal cancer by one-third, with benefits persisting over 30 years, a researcher said here.
Scientists identify genetic errors in 12 major cancer types
Examining 12 major types of cancer, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the development and progression of a range of tumors in the body. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments.
Colon cancer test rates lag
Although screening rates for colorectal cancer rose from 2002 to 2010, more than a third of at-risk patients were not up to date with screening in 2012, according to a CDC report.
A variety of cancers destroyed by drug combination therapy
Results from a recent preclinical study have shown that a new drug combination therapy being developed effectively killed colon, liver, lung, kidney, breast and brain cancer cells while having little effect on noncancerous cells. The results lay the foundation for researchers to plan a future phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety of the therapy in a small group of patients.
No survival gain with aspirin in colon cancer
Colon cancer patients who used low-dose aspirin after their diagnosis didn't see an increase in survival time, researchers found.
New colorectal cancer target found in stem cell gene
Researchers in Canada found that switching off a gene in the cancer stem cells that drive colon cancer stops them from being able to renew themselves. They say their study offers a starting point to treatments that could shut the cancer down.
Two in three patients will be surviving by end of decade
The number of people dying from breast, prostate and bowel cancer will almost halve by 2020, new figures suggest.
Cigarette smoking after cancer diagnosis increases risk of death
Men who continued to smoke after a cancer diagnosis had an increased risk of death compared with those who quit smoking after diagnosis, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Lung cancer oncogenes also drive colorectal cancer, study shows
A study shows that specific gene rearrangements known to drive subsets of lung cancer are also present in some colorectal cancers.
Erbitux approved for metastatic colon cancer treatment in Europe
Erbitux is now approved to treat patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer by the European Commission.
Colon cancer research focuses on tea and milk extracts
A new study found that a green tea extract, when diluted in skim milk or other milk complexes, remains bioactive and continues to reduce colon cancer cell proliferation.
Colon cancer recurrence: follow-up tests improve detection
Screening via Computed Tomography (CT) and an antigen, each had improved rate of surgical treatment of colon cancer recurrence, compared with minimal follow-up.
Two rectal cancer treatments found to have equivalent outcomes
Stage 2 or 3 rectal cancer patients treated with combining pre-operative radiation with either capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) had equivalent outcomes.
Colon cancer response to panitumumab treatment predicted by genetics
Genetic RAS mutations can help predict response to second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer with panitumumab, based on a phase 3 clinical trial.
Colon cancer incidence and mortality rate drop in a decade
The incidence of colon cancer in older adults decreased by 30% in the last decade, coinciding with a tripling of the colonoscopy rate, in the USA.
DNA-based test for colon cancer promises easier screening
A noninvasive, DNA-based test for colorectal cancer showed detection rates similar to colonoscopy. The test is home-based and requires no specific preparation.
Colon cancer surgery has more complications for patients over 65
Surgery for colon cancer patients has worse outcomes for those over 65, as shown in a study covering 10 years of colorectal cancer surgery information.
Advanced colon cancer drug may be ineffective with chemotherapy
Researchers discovered that a drug used in combination with chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer may result in faster cancer progression in some cases.
Cervical cancer radiotherapy increases colorectal cancer risk
Young women treated with radiation for cervical cancer have increased risk of colorectal cancer. Therefore, they should begin screening earlier than normal.
Colon cancer risk from processed meat diet driven by genetics
Colorectal cancer risk from eating processed meat is significantly higher in 1 in 3 people who are carriers of a common gene variant, according to new research.
PET scan before colon cancer surgery: Does it help?
Positron emission tomography (PET) scans before surgery did not significantly change the surgical treatment of colorectal cancer which has spread to the liver.
Rectal cancer patients may benefit by receiving chemotherapy first
Rectal cancer patients may tolerate treatment if they receive chemotherapy before radiation therapy and surgery, as new research shows it may be more tolerable.
Sitting associated with higher risk of cancer
In a new review of past research covering 69,000 patients, sitting was associated with a higher probability of diagnosis with colon or endometrial cancer.
Physical inactivity increases risk for colon, endometrial & lung cancer
Physical inactivity has been blamed for diseases like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Now it is also linked to the risk of certain cancers.