Fight Colorectal Cancer is giving you the opportunity to talk to researchers and medical professionals in April and May through online webinars designed to bring the science of treating colorectal cancer down to the personal.

The latest news from the petri dish
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
8 – 9 PM Eastern

Dr. Yaeger at work in her lab

Dr. Rona Yaeger will discuss the research she has been conducting over the past year with the grant she received as part of Fight Colorectal Cancer’s Lisa Fund research program.

Dr. Yaeger’s research focused on inhibiting the AKT pathway in colorectal cancer cells. She conducted basic research to determine how inhibitors to the pathway might affect cells of patients who have mutated KRAS and are resistant to EGFR inhibiting drugs. Dr. Yaeger has also been conducting a phase II clinical trial with an AKT inhibitor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have normal (wild type) KRAS.

If you are interested in learning more about the future of cancer treatments, or if you’ve ever donated to the Fight Colorectal Cancer Lisa Fund, do not miss this webinar!

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If there is a KRAS mutation in the primary colon or rectal tumor, there is almost always a matching mutation when that tumor spreads to the liver.

Researchers in the Netherlands tested both tumors for KRAS mutations in over 300 patients whose cancer had spread to their livers.

They found about a third of patients had KRAS mutations and KRAS status matched in 96 percent of the cases, making it possible to test either tumor to make decisions about treatment with Erbitux® (cetuximab) or Vectibix® (panitumumab) Read the rest of this entry »

Fight Colorectal Cancer has partnered with the Cancer Support Community (formerly The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club) on the third edition of its highly popular book, “Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Colorectal Cancer.”

The book is part of a free educational program conducted by the Cancer Support Community that is dedicated to empowering patients and their families to effectively navigate life with colorectal cancer. It includes:

• The latest diagnostic tools and screening guidelines
• An in-depth look at treatment options and side-effect management
• Tips for patients and their families on how to communicate with their health care teams
• Ways to cope with quality of life issues
• Up-to-date resources related to the total experience of living with colorectal cancer

Order your free copy today (limit one per household).

Coach Vince Lombardi was tough! But sometimes being tough isn’t enough.

He died of colon cancer when he was only 57.

Now the Broadway play LOMBARDI is donating $2 of every ticket sold during March to colon cancer research. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Lenz

We are making significant progress in understanding what genetic alterations in tumors really mean.

Over the last two years, we have learned or the first time that there is an alteration in a gene called KRAS in colon cancer, and tumors which have this mutation do not respond to treatment with Erbitux® (cetuximab) or Vectibix® (panitumumab).

This is the first time we have a marker to test for sensitivity of an antibody we have to treat colon cancer.

It is very important to know that patients with tumors who carry a KRAS mutation (alteration) are not doing worse overall. They just don’t have any benefit from an antibody which targets the Epithelial Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). Read the rest of this entry »