Cancer News

Many colon cancer patients can cut their chemotherapy regimen in half, improving their quality of life and reducing their chances of having debilitating side effects, according to the results of a major study released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting. The goal of the study was to determine whether a three-month course of …

Continue reading "Shorter Duration Chemotherapy Possible for Early Stage Colon Cancer"

Nearly 136,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with colorectal (CRC) cancer this year,1 and more than 50% will have their cancer spread to their liver.2  Many individuals with CRC involving the liver erroneously conclude that they have no treatment options other than systemic therapy.  There are however several therapeutic options for the treatment of …

Continue reading "Know Your Treatment Options: Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases"

A recent report reveals that Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), effect an estimated 3.1 million (1.3%) U.S. adults.  This is an increase from a report released in 1999 estimating that 1.8 million Americans (0.9%) were diagnosed with IBD. IBD is an immune-mediated chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. … Continue reading "Inflammatory Bowel Disease: More Common than Previously Thought"

The addition of the chemotherapy combination consisting of Eloxatin (oxalipatin) plus 5-fluorouracil (5 FU) following surgery reduces the risk of cancer progression among patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) stage III colorectal cancer. These results were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Among patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to … Continue reading "Addition of Eloxatin® Following Surgery Delays Cancer Progression in Certain Colorectal Cancers"

The placement of a stent as initial emergency treatment for colon obstruction reduces the need for a stoma without adversely affecting outcomes for patients with potentially curable colorectal cancer. These results were recently presented at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of … Continue reading "Stent Placement Reduces Need for Stoma in Some Colorectal Cancers"

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), has reported a new prevention treatment for individuals at high risk of developing colon cancer due to the APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) gene. Inheriting a mutation in the APC gene leads to a nearly 100% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer. This risk … Continue reading "New Treatment May Reduce Precancerous Polyps in Both Large and Small Intestine in Hereditary Cancer Patients"

Counsyl launches oncology business unit, an expanded test to assess risk for inherited forms of cancer, and tools to improve genetic screening rates across the healthcare system Counsyl, a DNA testing and genetic counseling service, today announced its expansion into the oncology market, with a focus on advancing cancer risk screening and helping cancer prevention efforts. Counsyl’s … Continue reading "Counsyl Announces Major Oncology Expansion to Advance Genetic Screening for Cancer Risk"

The treatment combination consisting of Herceptin (trastuzumab) plus Tykerb (lapatinib) provides significant anti-cancer activity in colorectal cancer that overexpresses the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). These results were recently published in The Lancet Oncology. The HER2 receptor is a protein that is normally found on the surface of several different types of cells … Continue reading "Herceptin® Plus Tykerb® Promising for HER2-Positive Colorectal Cancer"

The regular use of aspirin significantly reduces the overall risk of cancer, especially colorectal and other gastrointestinal tract cancers, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.1 The recent report supports the results of previous clinical studies that have also demonstrated that the daily use of aspirin reduces the risk of death from several common cancers, including lung, … Continue reading "Another Study Confirms That Daily Aspirin Lowers Risk of Colorectal & Other GI Tract Cancers"

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Epi proColon®, a test that screens for colorectal cancer from a simple blood draw. The approval specifies that EPI proColon is only indicated for individuals at an average risk of developing colorectal cancer who choose not to undergo other colorectal cancer screening methods specified in … Continue reading "EPI proColon® – Novel Blood Screening Test Approved for Colorectal Cancer Detection"