Fight Colorectal Cancer

Although overall colorectal cancer rates are lower Native Americans than in whites, there are significant regional differences that show a marked increase in colorectal cancer in Alaskan Natives and Native Americans who live in the Northwest Plains.

Alaskan Natives and Alaskan Indians were twice as likely to have colorectal cancer as non-Hispanic whites, and five times as likely as Native Americans living in the Southwest.  Native Americans in the Northern Plains were diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer about 40 percent more often than whites.

Alaska natives also were diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer almost twice as often as white Americans.

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Patients find it valuable when doctors provide cancer patients and their families with either an audio recording or a written summary of their visit. Most read the summary or listened to the recording at least once, and they shared the records with their families

Researchers at the Cochrane Collaboration reviewed randomized studies of the effect of providing a recording or a written record of a visit to cancer patients. Read the rest of this entry »

Experts in treating colorectal cancer that has spread to distant sites say that the need for a better staging system for advanced disease is urgent. More specific staging could identify patients whose cancer could be cured with surgery.  For others, modern chemotherapy might make curative surgery possible.

In addition, a more precise staging system, with more categories, would provide better survival prognosis.

Currently all patients whose cancer has spread beyond their colon or rectum to distant sites (metastatic colorectal cancer) are lumped together in one group, classified as stage IV or Dukes D.  No difference is made for those who have liver tumors that could be surgically removed or those where chemotherapy might make surgical cure possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Leroy Sievers, who built a community of support and caring with his blog My Cancer, died Friday, August 16, 2008 at his home in Maryland. He was 53.  His wife, Laurie Singer survives him.

First diagnosed with colon cancer in 2001, he found out four years later that it had spread to his brain and his lungs.  Pushing his doctors for the worst-case scenario, they told him six months.  Shortly afterwards he aired the first of a series of commentaries on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. Read the rest of this entry »

Although physical activity reduces colon cancer risk, few Americans are aware that exercise can help prevent it.

Only 15 percent of people responding to the Health Information National Trends Survey listed physical activity as one way to reduce the chances of getting colon cancer.

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