What’s Your Colon Cancer Risk

While all adults over 50 have an average risk for colorectal cancer which increases as they get older, some people are at a higher risk because of their family history, personal medical history, or lifestyle.

Doctors at Rush Health Associates in Chicago have developed an on-line colorectal cancer risk assessment tool that helps individuals assess their personal risk for colorectal cancer so that they can discuss screening and surveillance methods and scheduling with their doctors.  After completing a questionnaire that includes birthdate, weight, height, diet, exercise patterns, family medical history, personal medical conditions, and potential symptoms of colorectal cancer, participants receive a personal report card with their risk assessed and recommendations for action.

Dr. Marc Brand, surgical director of the Sandra Rosenberg Registry for Hereditary and Familial Colon Cancer at Rush Medical University says,

The single most important thing you can do in the fight against colorectal cancer is to begin screening at the appropriate age. This online screening survey can be the first step in protecting colorectal health. 

You can find more information about the tool and its development on Medical News Today.

Rush also provides a chart of colorectal cancer screening methods that outlines the methods, their accuracy, how often each needs to be performed, and their advantages and disadvantages as an aid in making colorectal cancer screening decisions.

colorectal cancer risk colorectal cancer screening

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 22nd, 2006
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »

Study shows that any smoking nearly doubles risk for pre-cancerous adenomas

Researchers studying a relationship between smoking, adenomas, colorectal cancer, and changes in a gene related to cells in the lining of the colon found that overall smoking at any time increased risk for adenomas by 73%.  Smoking more than 30 years nearly tripled risk for colorectal cancer.

However, there was a difference between smoking risk and those adenomas and colorectal cancers that showed a change in the APC gene (adenomatous polyposis coli) and those that did not.  Mutations in the APC gene are thought to be an early step in the development of the polyps that lead to colorectal cancer, but there are cancers that develop without APC gene changes.  Scientists believe they may represent a different pathway to colorectal cancer. 

When there was no mutation in the APC gene, the risk for both adenomas and colorectal cancer was four times as great as for non-smokers.  When there was a change in the APC gene, only beginning to smoke more than 40 years before yielded an increased risk for colorectal cancer, doubling the risk.

The research team studied 133 cases (45 with adenomatous polyps and 88 with colorectal cancer) and a control population of 334 cases with neither polyps or cancer.  All adenomas and tumors were sequenced for mutations in the APC gene.

In an article published March 17, 2006 in BMC Cancer the Norwegian research team concluded:

Our data suggest an association between smoking and adenoma and CRC development. This association was strongest for cases without APC truncation mutation. This may implicate other factors in development of these tumors. The association detected between smoking and CRC cases with APC mutation was in relationship to the smoking parameter “starting smoking [greater than or equal to] 40 years ago”, a time period long enough to proceed CRC initiation.

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 20th, 2006
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »

Snowy bike ride raises awareness in Nebraska — Rollin to Colon

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Bike riders started off in Omaha, Nebraska on Sunday, March 19th, to raise money for colon cancer research and awareness of the disease but were stopped by heavy snow a few miles into the ride.  State police decided that riders weren’t safe in the snowy weather.

Holly Rochelle, a colon cancer survivor, organized the ride — Rollin to Colon —  fifty miles from Omaha to Colon, Nebraska.

I had told people of Nebraska, I would come here and raise awareness for colon cancer — and would do it with everything I had. I want people to know that colon cancer is the number two cause of cancer deaths in this country. And I want them to get a colonoscopy.

In addition, riders wanted to get out the message that young people do get colon cancer. Lauri Wingerter was diagnosed at 38.

I was diagnosed at age 38 with stage-three colon cancer, and that was four years ago. It was awful and nobody thought, because I was so young, that I would have colon cancer.

Nineteen riders began the trip before fast-falling snow ended the effort.  The team plans an annual bike ride to towns across the United States named “Colon”.  Next year’s ride will be to Colon, Pennsylvania.  Rochelle plans to ride during March, which is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but may schedule it later to avoid late-season snow storms.

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 20th, 2006
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Laparoscopic colectomy saves health care costs in a hospital study

Laparoscopic or minimally invasive colectomy (MIC) takes more time to complete in the operating room and requires special instruments.  However, average hospital stays are shorter, so total costs might be lower.

Researchers at the University of Rochester wondered how full costs of MIC might compare with traditional surgery to remove colon cancer that opens the abdomen — open colectomy (OC).  Reviewing records of all open and minimally invasive colectomies performed at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester NY over a three years period beginning in 2000, they studied operating room time, length of hospital stay, and total overall health costs for both approaches.

For 68 surgeries that removed the right section of the colon (54 OC and 14 MIC):

• Time in the operating room was significantly longer for MIC (214 vs. 170 minutes)
• Length of hospital stay was shorter for MIC (4.5 days vs. 7.4 days)

For 131 colectomies to remove left-sided cancers (104 OC and 27 MIC)

• Again, time in the operating room was longer (256 minutes for MIC vs. 213 minutes for OC)
• Length of hospital stay was shorter for MIC (4.4 days vs. 7.9 days)

Overall, total hospital costs were significantly lower for MIC, averaging $8,580 compared to $10,303 for open surgery.

The research team, headed by Rabih M. Salloum, MD, concluded,

MIC is associated with a significantly longer operating room time and a shorter hospital stay than OC. Operating room cost is significantly higher for MIC, but total hospital cost is lower. MIC is cost effective and results in significant savings to the health-care system.

The study appears in the February 2006 Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 16th, 2006
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A Second Senate Victory!

The Senate passed the Feinstein-Mikulski amendment late last night.  This amendment provides an additional $390 million in cancer funding, with increases of:

• $240 million for the NCI
• $4.6 million for the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities
• $117 million for cancer programs at the CDC
• $25 million for the Nurse Reinvestment Act and Nursing Programs at HRSA

“Coming on the heels of our dramatic victory yesterday on the Specter Harkin amendment, we have accomplished much in a very difficult fiscal environment. The success of both these amendments puts the United States Senate clearly on record strongly opposing the President’s cuts to cancer funding, and will greatly strengthen our negotiating position as we enter the all important appropriations process this summer and fall,” says Dan Smith, VP of the American Cancer Society and Chair of One Voice Against Cancer.

“The Senate has a track record of supporting cancer research and prevention,” says Nancy Roach, C3 President.  “The House will be a challenge. Stay tuned!”

See Senator Feinstein’s press release

Posted by Nancy Roach on March 16th, 2006
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | No Comments »