Fight Colorectal Cancer has posted a recording of its February webinar, Report from the 2012 GI Cancers Symposium, held in partnership with the Colon Cancer Alliance.

Each year, the best and brightest minds in gastrointestinal oncology meet to discuss the latest research into colorectal, pancreatic, esophageal and other GI cancers. The 2012 symposium offered major news for people living with colorectal cancer, and we were proud to be able to bring that information to you.

Listen in as Dr. Dan Sargent of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Kim Ryan, Fight Colorectal Cancer’s Director of Patient Information Services, discuss what is on the horizon for patients living with colorectal cancer.

While there weren’t new blockbuster announcements for colorectal cancer this year at the American Society for Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Annual Meeting, there was plenty of focus on making what we already have work better and on choosing the patients who will benefit the most from treatments, as well as those who might not be helped at all. (Note, many of these issues will be discussed in detail on our upcoming patient webinar.)

Highlights:

• While adding oxaliplatin to 5-FU improves five year survival slightly for stage II colon cancer, it increases side effects, particularly tingling and numbness in the feet.  An analysis of several NSABP trials found that two or three more stage II patients out of every 100 would be alive five years later if they were given oxaliplatin in addition to 5-FU than if they only got 5-FU.  Risk of cancer returning was similar with an absolute improvement of 3 to 5 percent, depending on risk factors.  Doctors and patients need to think about whether the small benefit is worth the risk of neuropathy that may become permanent.
• Two speakers at the Saturday colorectal cancer oral abstract session addressed adding oxaliplatin to 5-FU as part of pre-surgical chemoradiation treatment for rectal cancer.  NSABP R-04 found that oxaliplatin did not help increase complete response rates, avoid colostomies, or downstage cancers. It did increase diarrhea significantly. On the other hand, early results from a German trial did find an increase in complete responses with oxaliplatin, and they didn’t see worse side effects.
• In the PRIME phase III clinical trial, patients receiving their first treatment for advanced colorectal cancer who had normal or wild-type KRAS genes in their tumor did better when Vectibix® (panitumumab) was added to FOLFOX chemotherapy.  But those patients whose tumor KRAS was mutated actually did worse than patients who only got chemotherapy.
• Side effects, while difficult for patients, may predict better outcomes from treatment.  Patients who got capecitabine as part of pre-surgical chemoradiation and developed hand-foot syndrome had fewer recurrences three years later and better survival at five years.  In another study of breast, lung, and colorectal cancer, patients who got high blood pressure while on Avastin® (bevacizumab) lived longer and it took longer before their cancer got worse.

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Dr. Edith Mitchell

Last night, Dr. Edith Mitchell of Thomas Jefferson University Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA, updated colorectal cancer patients on the latest research and treatment news in an online webinar.

Dr. Mitchell highlighted the most important news for colon and rectal cancer patients to come from the 2011 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium held in San Francisco last month. She answer such questions as…

“Can doctors determine the chances that my cancer may return?”

“Can my doctors determine if I need chemotherapy?”

“Does Avastin or Erbitux benefit my stage III cancer treatment?”

“Are there any promising new treatments on the horizon?”

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This evening, the President gave his annual address to Congress and called for a freeze in domestic spending while at the same time calling for innovation and acknowledging the importance of biomedical research.

“As someone who is committed to winning the fight against cancer, I was pleased to hear the President talk about the importance of innovation. However, it is counterproductive to proclaim that ‘this is our generation’s Sputnik moment’ while calling for a spending freeze for domestic programs.

Now is not the time for across the board cuts to domestic spending. If we are going to find a cure for cancer in our lifetimes, we need a sustained investment in proven research programs – programs that encourage innovation and ensure discoveries make it from bench to bedside as quickly as possible.

On behalf of the thousands of Americans who will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year and on behalf of the millions of Americans living with colorectal cancer I urge the President and Congress to renew the fight against cancer with smart and sustained investments in biomedical research that will not only save thousands of lives but encourage innovation and help stimulate the economy by creating much-needed jobs.”

- Carlea Bauman, President of the Colorectal Cancer Coalition

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Each year, the Colorectal Cancer Coalition, in conjunction with the American Association for Cancer Research, awards a research grant to a scientist exploring cutting edge ways to combat late stage colorectal cancer.

Dr. Rona Yaeger at work in her lab

The grant is fully funded through donations to the Coalition’s Lisa Fund, named after one of our founders, Lisa Dubow. The 2010 grant went to Dr. Rona Yaeger, a researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Coalition Board member Dr. Steven Depp, his wife Bonnie and Dr. Rona Yaeger

Last week, Coalition Board member Dr. Steven Depp, his wife Bonnie and I were invited into Dr. Yaeger’s lab. We watched her set up her gel electrophoresis apparatus to separate proteins. It is part of her goal to inhibit key signaling pathways in colorectal cancer.

Watching her research in action – especially research that we are responsible for – was a real thrill and we told Dr. Yaeger so. We all felt quite honored to be in that lab with her.

And, make no mistake, when I say “research we are responsible for,” I’m talking about every person who has contributed to the Lisa Fund. I wish we could have had all of you in there with us; you were certainly there in our hearts.

Help this research continue! Make a donation to the Lisa Fund today. Thank you so very much.