Latest News & Updates

Older patients benefit from XELOX after surgery

Update from 2010 GI Cancers Symposium

Colon cancer patients over 70 actually had a greater reduction in disease-free survival than did younger ones with a new regimen of Xeloda® and oxaliplatin compared to older IV 5-FU treatments according to a new analysis reported at the GI Cancers Symposium in Orlando.

With the bolus IV 5-FU and leucovorin regimens, stage III colon cancer patients over 70 had about a 60 percent chance of being alive and free from cancer three years after surgery. With a combination of Xeloda (capecitabine) and oxaliplatin in a treatment called XELOX, their three-year disease-free survival was 66 percent.

Younger patients had about a 3 percent absolute improvement between the two treatments from 69 percent to 72 percent. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on January 25th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »
Tags: capecitabine, elderly, oxaliplatin, recurrence risk, Xeloda

Antibodies Keep C. Diff at Bay

Giving two monoclonal antibodies along with antibiotics cut recurrence of Clostridium difficile (c. diff) infection significantly.

When a single injection of the two antibodies against c. difficile toxins was given, 7 percent of patients had their infection return within the next 84 days. In comparison, patients who got a placebo shot, had a 25 percent recurrence rate.

The antibodies were even more effective in preventing recurrence in patients who had had more than one episode of c. diff. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on January 21st, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: C. Difficile, monoclonal antibodies

C3 and Olympus to Host Forum on Colorectal Cancer Screening and Prevention

A Forum in Washington, DC
Thursday, January 28, 2010, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
The National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC

To RSVP, Please Click Here

Please join C3, Olympus, and leaders from Congress, the Administration, the gastroenterology and colorectal cancer (CRC) communities, and other health experts to discuss current trends in screening and prevention. The Forum will focus on the need to maintain CRC screening and prevention as a national policy priority, as we work to defeat this beatable disease.

Continue reading…

Posted by Catherine Knowles on January 20th, 2010
Posted in: C3 News, Policy & Advocacy News | No Comments »

Colorectal Cancer News Briefs: January 20

This week we’re sending you news about SMARxT Disposal of leftover medicine and a new resource from FDA that makes finding information on their website easier.

We’re experimenting with a little different format for the weekly briefs. You’ll find two different blogs — one with research news and another with upcoming events and consumer information. In this way, we hope to include a bit more detail while still keeping the individuals items brief and easy to read.

Watch for Kate Murphy on Twitter this weekend. She’ll be sending Tweets from the ASCO GI Symposium in Orlando. Follow C3 news and research updates @FIGHTCRC. Here’s more information on joining Twitter to follow C3. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on January 20th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 2 Comments »
Tags: drug disposal, FDA