In 2010, 28,748 people died from colon and rectal cancer amounting to $21 billion in lost productivity.

Had optimal prevention and treatment strategies available in 2005 been used, 3,586 of those deaths could have been avoided saving $1.4 billion.

Based on a computer model, reducing risk factors, improving screening, and using optimal treatment could reduce deaths between 2005 and 2020 by 101,353 and save $33.9 billion. Read the rest of this entry »

If there is a Dad in your life who deserves an extra thank you, we have the perfect way to say it.

There is still time to purchase your Father’s Day gifts and by doing so through the Fight Colorectal Cancer We-Care.com Mall, a portion of your purchase will be donated to the fight against colorectal cancer – at no extra cost to you. Whether your dad is “Lord of the Golf Course”, “King of the Grill” or the “Ultimate Armchair Quarterback”, with over 1,500 of your favorite merchant stores you are sure to find something he will love.  Below are just a few of the great deals that currently exist.

You can also recognize your father or special father-figure in your life by making a donation to Fight Colorectal Cancer in his honor or memory. Fight Colorectal Cancer is proud to have the opportunity to continue our efforts in the fight against colorectal cancer in your loved one’s name. Share their name and we’ll let them or a family member know that you thought of them this Father’s Day.

Fight Colorectal Cancer wishes all of the fathers a very happy Father’s Day.

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Although they are more likely to be diagnosed with stage III or IV colorectal cancer, patients under the age of 40, as well as those under 50,  have similar survival time and response to treatment as older people.

Young people had about twice the severe nausea and vomiting as older patients, but were less likely to have lowered white cell counts.  They had similar rates of serious diarrhea.

Colorectal cancer is primarily a disease of aging, with only 1 in 20 patients diagnosed under the age of 50.  The average age for diagnosis now is 72 years and nearly a third of cancers are found after age 80.

Contrary to belief, young patients also participate in clinical trials.  Although only 4.6 percent of advanced colorectal cancer patients are under 50, 13 percent of patients in the nine trials studied were younger than 50. Read the rest of this entry »

After a normal colonoscopy when no polyps are found, guidelines call for a repeat test in 10 years.

However, almost half of Medicare patients with a negative colonoscopy got another exam within 7 years, and for one in four there was no clear evidence that they needed one.

Because colonoscopies have real risks and are expensive, over-testing can be both dangerous and costly. Given limited numbers of physicians who do colonoscopies, unecessary procedures add to long waiting lists for screening and for necessary follow-up exams.

Although Medicare regulations call for reimbursement only after 10 years in cases where the first procedure didn’t find a problem, payments are being made for earlier exams.  In fact, Medicare denied payment for only 2 percent of colonoscopies for which there was no clear indication of need. Read the rest of this entry »

Some colorectal cancer patients will have their cancer spread into the tissue within their abdomen or to the surfaces of abdominal organs.  This condition, called peritoneal carcinomatosis, can be treated successfully if it is recognized early.  Unfortunately, it is often not seen on routine scanning and not diagnosed when surgical treatment is possible.

A clinical trial at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda will see if a second surgery to look for peritoneal carcinomatosis in high-risk patients can find the disease earlier, treat it appropriately, and  improve survival.

Eligible patients for the trial will have already had surgery that removed all visible tumor and are considered to have no evidence of disease (NED). However, their cancer will have some high-risk features that makes it more likely that they might develop peritoneal carcinomatosis in the future.

The trial is not intended for patients who already have peritoneal carcinomatosis. Read the rest of this entry »