CEA Flares During Chemo Don’t Mean Cancer Progression

Colorectal cancer patients whose CEA blood tests rise at the beginning of chemotherapy and then fall (CEA flare) do better than patients with a consistently rising CEA.   CEA flares don’t necessarily predict worsening cancer.

Compared to patients with consistently rising carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), patients who had a CEA flare had more tumor shrinkage, longer time before their cancer got worse, and longer survival time. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on November 10th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »
Tags: carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA, chemotherapy

Colorectal Cancer News in Brief: November 7

Briefly

Patients with diabetes aren’t any more likely to develop neuropathy in hands and feet when treated with oxaliplatin.

Learn more about  current colorectal cancer prevention and treatment at a Memorial Sloan Kettering CancerSmart workshop on November 12.  NIH has a downloaded booklet on palliative care, and Oncology on Canvas is looking for artwork from cancer patients and their families and caregivers. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on November 8th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: diabetes, neuropathy, oxaliplatin

No Need to Do Surgery Immediately for Patients with Advanced Colon Cancer

A study from Memorial Sloan Kettering recently showed that patients who have stage IV disease, which means spread to other organs, don’t need to undergo surgery immediately. If the tumor does not cause problems such as obstruction or bleeding, patients appear to do better to start with chemotherapy right away without delay because of the surgery. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on November 5th, 2009
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | 2 Comments »
Tags: metastatic colorectal cancer, surgery, Treating Colorectal Cancer

Gastroenterology Meeting Highlights

ACG Annual Meeting 2009 Brief Reports

The American College of Gastroenterology held its Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego from October 23 – 28, 2009 in San Diego.  Research reported during the meeting included how videorecordings of colonoscopy improved quality tests, the effectiveness of a drug that reduces constipation from opiate drugs, and support for guidelines that call for screening colonoscopy beginning at age 40 for people with a family history of colorectal cancer. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on November 4th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: colonoscopy, colonoscopy screening, constipation

Colon Cancer and Alcohol

For years we have known that alcohol consumption is one of the risk factors in developing colon cancer particular in women. This week an interesting article was published by Dr. Christopher Forsyth from Rush University Medical Center suggesting that if you have colon cancer and you drink alcohol that colon cancer may spread easier. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on November 3rd, 2009
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | 6 Comments »
Tags: alcohol, metastasis, Treating Colorectal Cancer