Can drugs used to help lower cholesterol also keep colon cancer from returning? 

Researchers at the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) are seeking patients for a one-year clinical trial to determine if cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) might help prevent the growth of precancerous (adenomatous) polyps and/or recurrent colorectal cancer.

The NSABP trial is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and has recently expanded to include patients with stage 0, I, II or III colon cancer at diagnosis. Patients can enter the study up to one year after their initial diagnosis.

In 2011, Fight Colorectal Cancer’s late Director of Research Communications Kate Murphy wrote about the trial and its efforts to study whether patients taking statins also saw a side benefit of colorectal cancer prevention.

In her post, Murphy noted that research studies of statins and colorectal cancer showed some conflict. Researchers looking at cell processes have found that statins block a protein that is important in cell growth. Blocking its action may prevent colon cancer from spreading or polyps from developing.

NSABP Protocol Chair Dr. Bruce Boman said that although “some retrospective observational studies suggest that statins prevent colorectal cancer, others do not.” Writing in the NCI Cancer Bulletin, Boman also said that longer term, prospective studies on tumor development were needed to determine the efficacy of statins.

Patients who are already on a statin drug to treat high cholesterol are not eligible for the study. For more information about the trial, patients can email Coloncancer.prevention@nsabp.org or call 1-855-NSABPCA  (1-855-672-2722).  The trial organizers have also posted a detailed video overview of the P-5 Colon Cancer Prevention study.

Do cholesterol-lowering drugs help prevent CRC?

You might be able to help answer that question. A national research project needs people who have been treated for early-stage (stage I or II) colorectal cancer in the past year.

There have been tantalizing hints that cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) might help prevent the growth of precancerous (adenomatous) polyps and/or recurrent colorectal cancer. Millions of Americans already take these statins to protect against heart attacks. We also know that people who have had early-stage colorectal cancer have up to a 50% chance of developing new polyps within 3 years.

Some studies have shown that people who had taken statins had lower rates of colorectal cancer (CRC), but other studies did not. And all of those studies were fairly short-term, looking for heart events rather than slower-developing cancers. So the jury is still out.

In 2010, the first national study was launched designed specifically to see if cholesterol-lowering statins could prevent colorectal cancer. But researchers still need more participants from all over the US, especially those at relatively high risk of developing cancerous polyps. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are diagnosed with stage III colon cancer, you will probably receive about six months of treatment with FOLFOX after surgery. Research shows that this treatment regimen helps prevent recurrence for some – but not all – patients with stage III colon cancer.  A clinical trial has been launched to answer two questions about this current standard of care:

1. Will recurrence rates go down if both FOLFOX and celecoxib (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug similar to aspirin) are used for treatment?

2.  Will recurrence rates stay the same and long term side effects decrease if FOLFOX is used for three months?

Read the rest of this entry »

The X-PECT phase III clinical trial has finished recruiting over 430 patients, evaluating perifosine treatment for patients with advanced colorectal cancer who have exhausted standard treatments.

The trial compares the effectiveness of adding perifosine to Xeloda® (capecitabine).

Led by Johanna Bendell, M.D., from the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, TN, the trial is being conducted at 65 sites in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

Leading colorectal cancer advocacy organizations Colon Cancer Alliance and Fight Colorectal Cancer announced that they are teaming up on an initiative to encourage patients with colorectal cancer to take charge of their diagnosis and learn about clinical trials.

The Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trial Call to Action campaign matches colorectal cancer patients with currently recruiting clinical trials based on their individual medical situation. The easy-to-use resources, powered by EmergingMed, help patients discuss with their doctor clinical trials that may be appropriate for them.  The personalized service is free, confidential, and available to patients, loved ones and healthcare professionals.

“Patients who participate in clinical trials also help further colorectal cancer research,” said Carlea Bauman, President of Fight Colorectal Cancer. “Today’s clinical trial could be tomorrow’s standard treatment. Unfortunately the process of finding an appropriate trial can be mind-boggling to patients, which is why Fight Colorectal Cancer is pleased to join with EmergingMed and the Colon Cancer Alliance on this vital program.”

Read the entire press release from EmergingMed, Fight Colorectal Cancer and the Colon Cancer Alliance.