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. Read the rest of this entry »

A recent study suggested that patients with colon cancer lived longer when taking aspirin.

Aspirin is a very interesting drug which has showed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and colon cancer risk and is a great pain reliever. The mechanism of action is the inhibition of an enzyme called COX-2. Read the rest of this entry »

Clinical features of colon tumors can predict survival, acupressure bands reduce nausea during radiation therapy, and there was no connection between the amount of fish a person ate and risk for colorectal cancer.  Although blacks have an increased risk for colon and breast cancer, hospitals matter.  All patients — white or black — did worse in hospitals that treated a majority of black patients.

Surgical robots are being developed with a light touch that can tell the difference between normal and tumor tissue. Read the rest of this entry »

In the hands of experts, laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer was as successful as an open abdominal operation.  Cancer free survival after five years wasn’t any different, and cancer was no more likely to return in and around the rectum.

Even if surgeons had to change their approach during the operation and convert from laparoscopic to open surgery, outcomes were not affected. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Mara Zemgaliete

Colorectal cancer patients with early stage disease were 30 percent less likely to die from cancer and 20 percent less likely to die at all if they took aspirin regularly after their diagnosis.

Benefit was even greater for those who began taking the medicine for the first time after their diagnosis.

However, only the group whose tumors tested positive for COX-2 (cyclooxygenase2) benefited from aspirin.   Read the rest of this entry »