Fight Colorectal Cancer

When patients in the Netherlands were offered a virtual colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, 1 out of 3 agreed, compared to 1 out of 5 offered a traditional optical colonoscopy exam.

However, it’s important to note that the virtual colonoscopies were done without laxative preparation.

In addition, optical colonoscopies found more advanced lesions (large polyps and cancers) than CT colonography.

However, as an overall strategy, the yield of advanced lesions per 100 people invited to participate in screening was the same because more people agreed to have a CT colonography. Read the rest of this entry »

Today there are more than 1 million survivors of colon and rectal cancer in the United States, probably 600,000 to 700,000 with no sign of cancer.

And we are grateful for their courage and persistence and for all the people that have made more cures and longer survival possible.

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship defines  someone as a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life. Read the rest of this entry »

This Thanksgiving Day, plan dinner accordingly, don’t turn off the football game right away or set the DVR, and don’t miss Kaleidoscope on Ice, a holiday spectacular and musical extravaganza celebrating cancer survivorship. Fight Colorectal Cancer is very excited to be a part of this show!

Taped before a live audience in Charlotte, NC comprised of cancer survivors and those touched by cancer, Kaleidoscope on Ice will air nationally on FOX on Thanksgiving Day at 4:00pm EST, immediately following the FOX Thanksgiving Day football telecast.

Olympic champions Scott Hamilton & Dorothy Hamill will co-host this year’s event which combines the beauty of Skating, the excitement of Song and the brave message of Survivorship to raise awareness of the key issues surrounding cancer.

Kaleidoscope on Ice will feature an unprecedented line up of Olympic and World champion figure skaters and award winning musical talent including Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, 3-time U.S. national champion Johnny Weir, and Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen. The unforgettable, star-studded roster also includes 4-time world champion Kurt Browning, Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie, Olympic bronze medalist Joannie Rochette, and more.

Complimenting amazing skating, the legendary, Grammy Award winner Patti LaBelle and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks will be performing, along with rising country musician Hunter Hayes, and Billboard’s 2011 Artist to Watch, Andy Grammer.  

Now in its 3^rd year, the Kaleidoscope mission is to provide America’s 12 million+ cancer survivors and their caregivers with inspiration, information and resources to help them thrive, live life to its fullest and feel empowered as they navigate their journey of survivorship.

Although FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg announced a final decision on November 18 to drop breast cancer from the Avastin label, metastatic colorectal cancer continues to be an approved use.

The Avastin® (bevacizumab) label includes the following approved indication:

Metastatic colorectal cancer, with intravenous 5-fluorouracil–based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treatment.

It is important to know that there is currently no approval or evidence for using Avastin alone or in early stage colon or rectal cancer.

On Wednesday night, Dr. Lindsey Poppe, the Pharmacy Clinical Manager for Oncology for the University of North Carolina hospital system talked about the alternatives and options that patients have when directly faced with the current chemo drug shortage.

You can watch a recording of the webinar on our website, along with all of our past patient webinars.

Webinar: What to Do When Your Doc is Out of 5-FU from Fight Colorectal Cancer on Vimeo.