Latest News & Updates

Even Heavy Coffee Drinking Does Not Affect Colorectal Cancer Risk

The Finns are among the heaviest coffee drinkers in the world, with each person in Finland consuming more than twice as much coffee every year as the average European and nearly three times as much as Americans.

Yet, when more than 60,000 Finns were followed for more than 18 years, there was no difference in colon or rectal cancer between those who drank more than 10 cups a day and those who didn’t drink coffee at all. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 1st, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: coffee, colorectal cancer risk, Finnish population

More Rectal Cancer in Young People

Rectal cancer rates are increasing in people under 40, although rates of colon cancer have remained stable in younger people.

It isn’t clear why, but rectal cancer rates in this young group of men and women began increasing in 1984, rising about 3.8 percent a year.

Increases were similar for both sexes and all races. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 27th, 2010
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Tags: rectal cancer, SEER, young patients

Can Bacteria Boost Development of Colorectal Cancer?

Scientists have found increased immune response to antigens produced by a particular intestinal bacteria in patients with polyps and early stage I or II colorectal cancer.

Antibodies against the Streptococcus bovis antigen RpL7/L12 were higher in the blood of polyp and early cancer patients than healthy individuals. However, the increased immune response had disappeared in patients with more advanced stage III or IV cancer. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 24th, 2010
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Tags: carcinogenesis

Early Palliative Care Increases Survival Time

Should cancer care focused on quality of life wait until all treatment ends? Or can it be integrated with medical treatment as soon as someone is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness?

In a study of 150 advanced lung cancer patients, starting palliative care along with standard life-prolonging treatment when patients were first diagnosed not only improved their mood and quality of life, it actually increased the time they lived.

Although patients who received early palliative care received less aggressive treatment at the end of life, they lived almost 3 months longer than patients who didn’t have such early support. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 23rd, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: hospice, palliative care, survival