Neither daily aspirin or undigestible starch supplements reduced the risk for polyps and cancer for people with Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer or HNPCC.)

Nearly 850 patients with identified Lynch syndrome were randomly assigned to receive aspirin, resistant starch, or placebos for up to four years.  After an average of two years, 141 developed either precancerous polyps or cancer (neoplasia). There was no difference in either overall neoplasia or advanced neoplasia whether patients took aspirin or resistant starch or received a placebo. Read the rest of this entry »

Identifying colorectal cancer patients with Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC) makes an important difference  in preventing further cancers for them and also for their family members.  However, family or personal medical histories don’t always find everyone at risk.

One of every 35 patients with colorectal cancer has Lynch syndrome, and each one has at least three family members who carry a Lynch gene and will need more intensive polyp and cancer surveillance beginning when they are young adults.

Researchers at Ohio State University compared methods of testing colon tumors to screen for Lynch syndrome and predict those patients who need further genetic testing.  They also looked at more traditional ways of finding potential Lynch syndrome, including family histories and age at diagnosis. Read the rest of this entry »

Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer) greatly increases the risk for colon and rectal cancer. People with the gene have about an 8 in 10 chance of getting colon cancer during their lives. Because Lynch cancers develop quickly and grow rapidly, it’s important to monitor people who carry the genes closely with colonoscopy every year or two.

When doctors in four research centers immediately followed up Lynch syndrome patients after a regular colonoscopy with more intense colonoscopy scrutiny, they discovered they had missed more polyps than they found.  During the first exam, their miss rate for adenomas, polyps with the greatest risk of developing into cancer, was 55 percent. Read the rest of this entry »

A new study finds colorectal cancer patients with Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC) have better survival than patients without the inherited form of the disease.  Overall, 94 percent of Lynch syndrome patients were alive five years after their diagnosis compared to 75 percent of those with sporadic cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

In 2008 nearly 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and more than 15,500 will die.

Sometimes called the disease that whispers, ovarian cancer symptoms are often not recognized until its late stages when it is most deadly.  Found early, ovarian cancer is 90 percent curable but most cases are found after the cancer is already advanced.

President Bush has proclaimed September 2008 ass National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.  During September, advocates will be working to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, let women know about its symptoms, and work toward early detection and effective treatment. Read the rest of this entry »