2008 brought new information for people with colorectal cancer and those at risk for it.  The role of KRAS tumor mutations was a major step forward for personalized medicine.  New screening guidelines provided additional resources and guidance for colorectal cancer prevention.

ESA use was restricted further and information was developed to help patients make choices about using the medicines to manage anemia associated with chemotherapy.  Flat and highly dangerous colorectal cancer lesions that are different from polyps were uncovered.

The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act was passed.

While there were steps forward in research and screening, nearly 50,000 Americans and half a million people worldwide died of colon or rectal cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

Beginning in January, I will be blogging here at the C3 website.

I am a Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncologist at the University of Southern California (USC)/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. I am what people describe as a physician scientist, which means I do see patients and write a lot of clinical trials, but I also have a laboratory focusing on the molecular make up of tumors.

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Neither daily aspirin or undigestible starch supplements reduced the risk for polyps and cancer for people with Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or HNPCC.)

Nearly 850 patients with identified Lynch syndrome were randomly assigned to receive aspirin, resistant starch, or placebos for up to four years.  After an average of two years, 141 developed either precancerous polyps or cancer (neoplasia). There was no difference in either overall neoplasia or advanced neoplasia whether patients took aspirin or resistant starch or received a placebo. Read the rest of this entry »

German scientists have identified a gene that has higher levels in colon cancer patients whose tumors are destined to spread. By initiating a signaling pathway in the cancer cell, MACC1 (Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer 1) promotes faster cell growth and cancer spread  to distant sites in the body (metastasis) .

Their research was published online in Nature Medicine.

About a third of patients whose cancer is found in early stages will eventually have it spread to other organs.  Measuring MACC1 may help doctors identify those patients, treat them more aggressively, and follow them  more closely. Read the rest of this entry »

Boehringer Ingelheim, parent company of Bedford Laboratories, reports that Bedford is shipping some leucovorin, but that improvements in its manufacturing facilities will cause some short-term interruptions.

In a statement, Boehringer Ingleheim says that five lots of intravenous leucovorin were released between late November and mid-December, providing about 175,000 vials.  Another two lots are expect to be shipped before the end of 2008 containing another 167,000 vials.

According to the statement,

Bedford Laboratories will continue to work with the FDA drug shortage staff to provide updates on leucovorin.

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