Hypomagnesemia, or reduced magnesium levels, is a side effect of Erbitux® (cetuximab) treatment.  Patients with colorectal cancer whose blood magnesium dropped the fastest also had the best response to Erbitux given with Camptosar® (irinotecan) .

Italian researchers measured magnesium levels for 68 patients before treatment began and then 6 hours, 1 7, 14, 21, 50, and 92 days later.  After the seventh day, readings decreased consistently.

Magnesium levels fell at least 20 percent for 25 patients by the third week.  More of these patients responded to treatment, they lived longer before their cancer got worse and had longer overall survival. Read the rest of this entry »

More News from ASCO 2008

Although men and women with metastatic colon or rectal cancer have similar overall survival after their diagnosis, age has an impact.  Women in premenopausal years, 18 to 44, live longer than younger men.  However, after the age of 75, women have significant worse survival than men.

Across all age groups, Hispanics survive the longest, followed by whites, Asians, African Americans, and, finally, Native Americans according to a study from the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and reported at ASCO. Read the rest of this entry »

Advance Abstracts from ASCO 2008

How far a colon or rectal cancer penetrates through the wall of the bowel may be more important in deciding survival risks than current staging that focuses on positive lymph nodes.

Five year survival statistics for a large number of rectal and cancer patients verified an earlier study that found some stage III colorectal cancers had better prognosis than stage II cancers that extended through the bowel wall but did not invade nearby lymph nodes.

The information has implications for treating colorectal cancer after surgery.

Read the rest of this entry »

Patients who have poorly controlled type-2 diabetes and colorectal cancer have worse outcomes than patients whose diabetes is controlled or patients without diabetes.

Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes led to more right-sided tumors, more advanced cancer at diagnosis, diagnosis at a younger age, and poorer five year survival.

Researchers at the Dallas Veterans Medical Center reviewed records of patients with colorectal cancer whose also had type 2 diabetes and matched them to a control group of colorectal cancer patients without diabetes.  Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes was defined as a HbA1c level of 7.5 percent or more. Read the rest of this entry »