Value of KRAS and BRAF Mutations in Forecasting Survival

For stage II and III colon cancer, a tumor mutation in the KRAS gene does not impact either relapse-free survival or overall survival.

BRAF mutations, which are less common, don’t help with prognosis for relapse-free survival, but do provide information about overall survival in some tumors.   Patients with BRAF mutations and microsatellite-low or stable tumors had poorer overall survival than those without mutations. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on January 5th, 2010
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »
Tags: BRAF, KRAS, survival

NSAIDS Reduce Deaths from Colorectal Cancer

Using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDS) before being diagnosed with colorectal cancer reduced women’s deaths both from any cause and from colorectal cancer five years later.

Women followed as part of the California Teachers Study who used NSAIDS regularly had more than 40 percent reduction in colorectal cancer deaths and a 30 percent  reduced chance of dying overall. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on October 18th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: NSAIDS, survival

Biomarkers Predict Colorectal Cancer Survival

Two gene changes that occur in some colorectal cancers can forecast chances for good or poor survival.

Patients whose cancers had high microsatellite instability (MSI) had significantly better outcomes at every stage, but mutations in the KRAS gene predicted poorer survival. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on October 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 3 Comments »
Tags: KRAS, MSI, survival

Early Stage Patients Benefit from Regular Follow-Up

Patients with very early stage colon cancer benefit as much from regular followup testing after surgery as later stage patients do.

While overall patients with stage I or IIA colon cancer (early stage) have a lower risk of cancer returning than patients with stage IIB or III (later stage), careful surveillance after surgery is as effective in finding and treating cancer in both groups.

About one in three patients in both the early and late stage who had a recurrence detected during surveillance were able to have surgery with the goal of curing their cancer.   Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 21st, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 1 Comment »
Tags: CEA, recurrence, surveillance, survival

Colorectal Cancer News in Brief: September 12

In research, cancer patients who are separated but not yet divorced have the poorest chances of surviving 5 and 10 years after their diagnoses, and researchers at the VA Medical Center in Houston have identified a strong predictor of colon and rectal cancer survival by studying if cancer has spread into nerves near tumors.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network provides online treatment summaries for people with cancer, and new rules from the Department of Health and Human Services require that patients be notified when HIPAA rules are broken and their privacy is compromised. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 14th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: HIPAA, NCCN Treatment Summaries, perineural invasion, survival