On Monday, May 16th, 2011, Dr. Andrew Kennedy, a well-known researcher in liver metastases, led a Fight Colorectal Cancer webinar discussing an issue that affects thousands of colorectal cancer patients.

Colorectal cancer often metastasizes first to the liver, so learning how to manage growth of those tumors can help with patient survival.  

Treatment of liver mets has come a long way in the last two decades. You can learn about these developments in an archive of the webinar below.

Our thanks to Dr. Andrew Kennedy for leading the discussion. His extensive knowledge of this issue is highly respected in the field of radiology. He graciously donated his time to bring this information to patients.

Webinar: Treating Liver Metastases from Fight Colorectal Cancer on Vimeo.

Fight Colorectal Cancer is giving you the opportunity to talk to researchers and medical professionals in April and May through online webinars designed to bring the science of treating colorectal cancer down to the personal.

The latest news from the petri dish
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
8 – 9 PM Eastern

Dr. Yaeger at work in her lab

Dr. Rona Yaeger will discuss the research she has been conducting over the past year with the grant she received as part of Fight Colorectal Cancer’s Lisa Fund research program.

Dr. Yaeger’s research focused on inhibiting the AKT pathway in colorectal cancer cells. She conducted basic research to determine how inhibitors to the pathway might affect cells of patients who have mutated KRAS and are resistant to EGFR inhibiting drugs. Dr. Yaeger has also been conducting a phase II clinical trial with an AKT inhibitor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have normal (wild type) KRAS.

If you are interested in learning more about the future of cancer treatments, or if you’ve ever donated to the Fight Colorectal Cancer Lisa Fund, do not miss this webinar!

Read the rest of this entry »

If there is a KRAS mutation in the primary colon or rectal tumor, there is almost always a matching mutation when that tumor spreads to the liver.

Researchers in the Netherlands tested both tumors for KRAS mutations in over 300 patients whose cancer had spread to their livers.

They found about a third of patients had KRAS mutations and KRAS status matched in 96 percent of the cases, making it possible to test either tumor to make decisions about treatment with Erbitux® (cetuximab) or Vectibix® (panitumumab) Read the rest of this entry »

SIRT Microspheres

When surgery is not possible to remove colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver, inserting radioactive beads into the liver through its large artery may reach tumors and destroy them.

Called Selective Internal Radiation Therapy or SIRT, either resin carrying radioactive Yttrium-90 are inserted into the liver through a catheter in the hepatic artery in the groin. The tiny microspheres travel through the artery into the rich system of blood vessels that feed liver tumors. The beads get trapped in the tiny blood vessels near tumors and emit radiation that destroys cancer cells.

Radiation continues for about 14 days. After that the tiny beads, each less than a third of the diameter of a single strand of hair, remain safely within the liver.

Radiation from microspheres affects only tumors within the liver and doesn’t harm other parts of the body.

Before treatment begins, a planning angiogram is necessary. Resin beads without radioactive Yttrium are inserted through the hepatic artery and followed to be sure that the system of liver blood vessels will let them reach the tumors and not go beyond the liver where radiation could hurt other parts of the body.

SIRT treatment is delivered by an interventional radiologist with special training and experience with the procedure. Find a center where the procedure is done.

Currently, SIRT is covered by Medicare and many insurance companies for people whose colorectal cancer has already gotten worse on chemotherapy and who are not appropriate for liver surgery.

Where Can You Go for More Information

• View a recording of our patient webinar, “Treating Liver Metastases” 
• SIRTEX, the manufactures of SIR-Spheres resin microspheres has information especially for patients on their website, including frequently asked questions and some excellent videos.
• Support and information for patients by patients is available from YES, both online and via toll-free telephone.

Patients with liver tumors, including those that have spread from colorectal cancer, can enroll in a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda.

The trial will test the effectiveness of infusing the drug melphalan through the artery that feeds the liver.

Colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases are eligible for the trial if they have already had chemotherapy including irinotecan or oxaliplatin.  Limited cancer outside of the liver is acceptable if the most serious problem is within the liver itself. Read the rest of this entry »