Aspirin for Every Patient with Metastatic Colon Cancer?

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. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on August 31st, 2009
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | 3 Comments »
Tags: aspirin, chemoprevention, survival, Treating Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer News in Brief: August 31

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. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 31st, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: acupressure, disparities, nausea, robotic surgery, survival

Laparoscopic Surgery a Safe Choice for Rectal Cancer

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. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: laparoscopic, rectal cancer, survival

Aspirin Saves Lives after Colon Cancer Treatment

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.   Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | 6 Comments »
Tags: aspirin, colorectal cancer, survival

Early Tumor Shrinkage Points to Good Erbitux Outcomes

Patients with advanced colorectal cancer whose tumors have gotten smaller six weeks after starting treatment with Erbitux had a much longer time before their cancer got worse and almost twice the overall survival as patients whose tumors didn’t shrink.

Patients in the BOND study had already gotten worse on standard chemotherapy and were receiving either Erbitux® (cetuximab) alone or in combination with irinotecan.  CT scans  for about a third of them showed at least a 10 percent decrease in the size of their tumors six weeks into treatment. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 4th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: cetuximab, Erbitux, metastatic colorectal cancer, survival