When bowel preps are not good, doctors may miss almost half of adenomas (polyps) during colonoscopy.  Worse, they may miss nearly 1 in 3 large adenomas, the most worrisome kind.

The bad news is that bowel prep may be suboptimal in as many of one in four patients.

Because of the danger of missing an adenoma after poor bowel prep, some doctors will repeat the colonoscopy, particularly if they found at least one adenoma during the first exam.   Read the rest of this entry »

While there weren’t new blockbuster announcements for colorectal cancer this year at the American Society for Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Annual Meeting, there was plenty of focus on making what we already have work better and on choosing the patients who will benefit the most from treatments, as well as those who might not be helped at all. (Note, many of these issues will be discussed in detail on our upcoming patient webinar.)

Highlights:

• While adding oxaliplatin to 5-FU improves five year survival slightly for stage II colon cancer, it increases side effects, particularly tingling and numbness in the feet.  An analysis of several NSABP trials found that two or three more stage II patients out of every 100 would be alive five years later if they were given oxaliplatin in addition to 5-FU than if they only got 5-FU.  Risk of cancer returning was similar with an absolute improvement of 3 to 5 percent, depending on risk factors.  Doctors and patients need to think about whether the small benefit is worth the risk of neuropathy that may become permanent.
• Two speakers at the Saturday colorectal cancer oral abstract session addressed adding oxaliplatin to 5-FU as part of pre-surgical chemoradiation treatment for rectal cancer.  NSABP R-04 found that oxaliplatin did not help increase complete response rates, avoid colostomies, or downstage cancers. It did increase diarrhea significantly. On the other hand, early results from a German trial did find an increase in complete responses with oxaliplatin, and they didn’t see worse side effects.
• In the PRIME phase III clinical trial, patients receiving their first treatment for advanced colorectal cancer who had normal or wild-type KRAS genes in their tumor did better when Vectibix® (panitumumab) was added to FOLFOX chemotherapy.  But those patients whose tumor KRAS was mutated actually did worse than patients who only got chemotherapy.
• Side effects, while difficult for patients, may predict better outcomes from treatment.  Patients who got capecitabine as part of pre-surgical chemoradiation and developed hand-foot syndrome had fewer recurrences three years later and better survival at five years.  In another study of breast, lung, and colorectal cancer, patients who got high blood pressure while on Avastin® (bevacizumab) lived longer and it took longer before their cancer got worse.

Read the rest of this entry »

Believe it or not, using 5-FU in the fight against colorectal cancer goes back to the 1950s when the chemo drug was first used for advanced disease.

Today 5-FU remains a mainstay against colon and rectal cancer, but it has been joined by new drugs, targeted biological agents like Avastin, radiation, and greatly improved surgery.

Along with improved treatment, routine colorectal cancer screening has reduced death from colorectal cancer by 40% since 1975.

ASCO has a new interactive graphic that shows progress against cancer, including colorectal cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

No more than 18 ounces of red meat a week and no processed meat at all!

That’s the recommendation of the World Cancer  Research Fund’s Continuous Update Project  for 2011.

Based on new evidence, the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research’s Continuous Update Project  (CUP) report also upgraded evidence for dietary fiber decreasing colorectal cancer risk from probable to convincing.

The CUP  found convincing evidence that physical activity reduces risk of getting colorectal cancer.  Research is also convincing that alcoholic drinks for men, fat carried around the waist,  and overall fatness increase risk.

Probably garlic, milk, and calcium supplements protect against colorectal cancer, while alcoholic drinks for women increase risk. Read the rest of this entry »

ASCO’s almost here!

The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology begins on June 3 in Chicago.  Fight Colorectal Cancer staff will be there, both in the Exhibit Hall with information about our work and attending scientific sessions to learn about the latest advances in colorectal cancer prevention and treatment.

ASCO Abstracts are available online for browsing.  We’ve been looking through them, hunting for the ones we think are important to find out more about at the meeting.  Here’s what we’re watching: Read the rest of this entry »