Fight Colorectal Cancer

The Centers for Disease Control have made an preliminary link between an outbreak of Salmonella infection and peanut butter.  Studies of illness patterns by the Minnesota Department of Health suggested that King Nut  peanut butter might the source of the bacteria.  Strains of Salmonella Typhimurium were found in an open 5-pound container of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter in Minnesota.

In addition, clusters of infection have been found in schools and institutions in other states.  King Nut was the only peanut butter used in those places.  King Nut peanut butter is not sold to consumers, but is only distributed to institutional food service programs.

The King Nut Companies voluntarily recalled both King Nut and Parnell’s Pride peanut butters in an effort to prevent further infection. Read the rest of this entry »

The Food and Drug Administration and the King Nut Companies have announced a recall of King Nut Peanut Butter after Salmonella was found in an open five pound tub of peanut butter.  King Nut is also recalling Parnell’s Pride peanut butter, which is manufactured by the same company that makes King Nut.

King Nut Companies distribute both the King Nut and Parnell’s Pride brands of  peanut butter for institutional use.  However, they are both manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of America.  Parnell’s Pride is also distributed by other companies.

King Nut does not sell peanut butter directly to consumers, but distributes it to food service accounts only.  None of the other King Nut products are affected by the recall.

Martin Kanin, President and CEO of King Nut Companies said,

We are very sorry this happened. We are taking immediate and voluntary action because the health and safety of those who use our products is always our highest priority.

Average risk men and women and their doctors can estimate the probability of that individual developing colon or rectal cancer by using an interactive tool available online.  Developed by National Cancer Institute, the model is based on population research and cancer incidence information.

In developing the prediction tool, researchers matched 1,600 men and women with colon cancer and 650 with rectal cancer to nearly 1,900 similar individuals without cancer.   Using identified risk factors for colorectal cancer, they were able to estimate the probability than an individual would develop colon or rectal cancer within the next 5, 10, or 20 years.  The prospective National Institute of Health-American Association of Retired Persons diet and health study was used to validate the tool. Read the rest of this entry »

I am not only a GI oncologist who sees patients, but I am also running a laboratory. My research tries to understand why some colon cancers respond to chemotherapy and others don’t, and why some colon cancers recur after successful removal by the surgeon.

I am trying to change the way we treat patients with colon or rectal cancer. Over the last 10 years we have identified genetic signatures which help us choose the most effective and least toxic chemotherapy. In my practice every patient with newly diagnosed colon cancer is genetically tested for KRAS and two genes which show whether FOLFOX chemotherapy is more likely to be successful. Read the rest of this entry »

Camera Purchases Benefit C3

Olympus Auctions Cameras for a Cause on eBay continues to support the fight against colorectal cancer by sharing 10 percent of the proceeds of their online camera sales with C3 and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA).

Your purchase of point and shoot digital cameras, 35mm film cameras, digital SLR cameras, camera accessories,  or digital voice recorders, direct from Olympus, will help NCCRA and C3 raise awareness of colorectal cancer, promote screening, and push for research to end pain, suffering, and death from colon and rectal cancer.

In addition to cameras, Olympus is a leader in medical technology that directly impacts the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer including:

• Gastrointestinal endoscopes, accessories, and minimally invasive surgical products.
• Advanced clinical and research microscopes.
• Lab automation systems, chemistry-immuno and blood bank analyzers and reagents