Colorectal News and Research

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Single-incision laparoscopy reduces postoperative complications

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report what is believed to be the nation's first single-incision laparoscopy to perform a combined colectomy and kidney-preserving therapy.

26 Mar 2010

AVASTIN receives Health Canada approval for patients with GBM

Roche Canada announced today that Health Canada has approved AVASTIN(R) (bevacizumab), as a single agent, for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive primary malignant brain tumour, after relapse or disease progression, following prior therapy.

26 Mar 2010

Hybridyne Imaging Technologies – Brookhaven National Lab team vies for top title at 2010 WBT showcase

A team from Hybridyne Imaging Technologies, Inc., and the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory was among over 90 top technology innovators from across the nation and around the world competing in Arlington, Texas, March 16-17, for top honors at the WBT2010 showcase presented by Lockheed Martin.

25 Mar 2010

Renowned expert to present latest research on gut microbes at EICC

Trillions and trillions of bacteria live in the human gut. The thought of all these invisible inhabitants inside you might be yucky, but without them we would not be here at all. Which microbes reside in our gut? Are they harmful? Where do they come from? What do they actually do deep in our bowels? Do pre- or pro- biotics affect them?

25 Mar 2010

Colorectal cancer survivor shares her experience

For Hempstead resident Lynette Love, mother of four and grandmother of five, surviving colorectal cancer took courage, diligence and faith. Now a 3-year survivor, Love is giving the love back to the community through her participation in the Sprint for Colorectal Oncology Prevention and Education (SCOPE) run.

25 Mar 2010

Æterna Zentaris announces 2009 financial and operating results

Æterna Zentaris Inc., a late-stage drug development company specialized in oncology and endocrine therapy, today reported financial and operating results as at and for the fourth quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2009.

24 Mar 2010

CT colonography screening identifies unsuspected cancer outside of colon

A new, large-scale study of more than 10,000 adults found that more than one in every 200 asymptomatic people screened with CT colonography, or virtual colonoscopy, had clinically unsuspected malignant cancer and more than half of the cancers were located outside the colon. The findings were published in the April issue of the journal Radiology.

23 Mar 2010

Simcere Pharmaceutical completes Phase IV clinical study of Endostar

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, a leading manufacturer and supplier of branded generic pharmaceuticals and manufacturer of the patented anti-cancer biotech product Endostar (also known as Endu) in China, announced today the successful completion of Endostar Phase IV clinical study at a conference in Beijing dedicated to this study.

22 Mar 2010

No significant racial differences in cancer patient mortality rates: Study

A new study has found that when African American and white cancer patients are treated at similar, specialized cancer care institutions, mortality rates are roughly equal. Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings suggest that where patients receive care may partly explain observed racial disparities in cancer mortality.

22 Mar 2010

Research roundup: Insurance crisis tough on middle class; Hospitals' profit margins on private patients up

Private-Payer Profits Can Induce Negative Medicare Margins - "Hospitals' profit margins on privately insured patients have risen dramatically in recent years, while profit margins on Medicare patients have fallen," write the authors, who all work for MedPAC.

20 Mar 2010

Community-driven approaches needed for reducing cancer-death disparities

Cancer death rates for African-Americans far exceed non-Hispanic Caucasians in the United States, and only community-driven approaches to reducing health disparities will lessen the gap, says Edward Partridge, M.D., president-elect of the American Cancer Society (ACS) National Board of Directors and director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center.

19 Mar 2010

Studies reveal increased polyp detection rates with TER during colonoscopy

Two new studies show an increase in polyp detection rates using the Third Eye Retroscope (TER), a retrograde viewing device, during colonoscopy. The first study found that TER added to standard colonoscopy detected 13.2 percent more polyps than colonoscopy alone, including 11 percent additional adenomas (precancerous polyps). A second study examined endoscopist experience using TER and its impact on polyp detection rates, concluding that polyp detection rates improved significantly with TER.

19 Mar 2010

CCAC launches online campaign to raise colorectal screening awareness

As part of its March awareness month kick off, the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada has launched a unique campaign to encourage Canadian men and women to show their butts online so as to raise awareness about the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer.

18 Mar 2010

New chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal cancer: High-cost/low-value medical care

New chemotherapy agents appear associated with improvements in survival time for patients with metastastic colorectal cancer, but at substantial cost, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Mar 2010

Genes linked to ulcerative colitis identified

A study of the human genome led by Cedars-Sinai researchers has now identified genes linked to ulcerative colitis, offering clues as to what causes the condition and potential avenues for new therapies to treat the disease.

18 Mar 2010

Research shows Caspase-1 protein plays a key role in the process of inflammation and colon cancer

Every day, our gut comes in contact with bacteria, inducing an inflammatory response that is tolerated and controlled. Sometimes the control of inflammation is lost and this can lead to inflammatory bowel disease that may predispose to colon cancer.

18 Mar 2010

New chemotherapy agents improve survival time for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

New chemotherapy agents appear associated with improvements in survival time for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer but at substantial cost.

17 Mar 2010

Circulating tumor cells could help guide treatment and improve quality of life for cancer patients

One of the most dangerous characteristics of cancer is its ability to metastasize, or spread through the body. For this reason, oncologists have a major need for better tests to detect cells that break away from primary tumors to travel to other parts of the body.

17 Mar 2010

Radiofrequency ablation helps prolong life of colorectal cancer patients

Approximately half of Americans living with colorectal cancer will develop liver metastases at some point during the course of their disease. Radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive treatment that applies heat directly in the tumor causing cancer cell death with minimal associated injury to the surrounding healthy liver, contributes to prolongation of their life by nearly three years, note researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

17 Mar 2010

Colon cancer patients often not treated with recommended level of chemotherapy

New results from a major initiative on the quality of cancer care in the United States show that patients with a common type of colon cancer -- especially older patients -- often are not treated as aggressively with chemotherapy as research shows is necessary to improve survival.

17 Mar 2010