Colorectal Cancer News and Research

Latest Colorectal Cancer News and Research

Study examines maternal and newborn health risks and colorectal cancer

In one of the first studies to examine maternal and newborn health risks and colorectal cancer, UC Davis researchers have found that women diagnosed with the disease during or shortly after their pregnancies have the same survival as women who have the disease and are not pregnant.

26 Feb 2009

Patient knowledge of health information influences cancer treatment

A new analysis finds that when colorectal cancer patients seek out health information from the internet and news media, they are more likely to be aware of and receive the latest treatments for their disease.

23 Feb 2009

New technique to determine tumor methylation status

Current research suggests that a new technique to determine tumor methylation status can be used in archived tissue samples.

23 Feb 2009

Reminders may increase colon cancer screening

Mailed reminders to patients appear to promote colon cancer screening, according to a report in the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 Feb 2009

Calcium linked to lower risk of cancer in women

Women with higher intake of calcium appear to have a lower risk of cancer overall, and both men and women with high calcium intakes have lower risks of colorectal cancer and other cancers of the digestive system, according to a report in the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 Feb 2009

B-cell clones as early markers for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Testing of blood specimens may detect abnormal white blood cells in patients years before the chronic form of lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) develops, according to research published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

22 Feb 2009

Racial disparities in colorectal cancer screening persist

Colorectal cancer screening among patients with Medicare coverage is increasing, but a persistent gap remains between whites - who are screened most frequently - and all other racial and ethnic groups, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Washington.

20 Feb 2009

Cancer death rates fall among African Americans - survival rates still low

While death rates from cancer continue to drop among African Americans, the group continues to be diagnosed at more advanced stages and have lower survival rates at each stage of diagnosis compared to whites for most cancer sites.

20 Feb 2009

Genetic ID of marker in lymph nodes may be linked to colorectal cancer recurrence risk

A preliminary report suggests that genetic testing may help identify a marker in lymph nodes that is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer recurrence among patients in whom conventional testing indicates that those lymph nodes show no evidence of cancer spread, according to a study in the February 18 issue of JAMA.

18 Feb 2009

Presence of a biomarker in regional lymph nodes predicts disease recurrence in colorectal cancer

Findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University show that the presence of a biomarker in regional lymph nodes is an independent predictor of disease recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer.

18 Feb 2009

Newly discovered mutation can hold the key to treat a large number of different cancers

Scientists have discovered a mutation responsible for cancer progression, a finding with potential implications for the development of treatment against not one, but a series of cancer types since this mutation can be linked to an abnormality recently discovered to exist in all malignancies.

18 Feb 2009

Exercise lowers risk of colon cancer

An ambitious new study has added considerable weight to the claim that exercise can lower the risk for colon cancer.

15 Feb 2009

Costs of digestive diseases grown to more than $141 billion a year

Digestive, liver and pancreatic diseases result in more than 100 million outpatient visits and 13 million hospitalizations annually at a cost of $141.8 billion.

10 Feb 2009

Primary care doctors miss opportunities to recommend colon cancer screening

While it is known that patients with few primary care doctor's office visits are less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening, new research indicates that even patients who see their physicians regularly also do not receive screening.

3 Feb 2009

New potential targets for colitis-associated cancer

Recent research from the laboratory of Michael Karin, PhD, at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine - the first researcher to demonstrate a molecular link between inflammation and cancer - has identified two potential targets for the prevention and treatment of colitis-associated cancer (CAC), the most serious complication of inflammatory bowel disease.

2 Feb 2009

New CDC study assesses impact of genetic testing on health outcomes

Some genomic tests developed to personalize medical decisions about cancer care are beneficial, while for others the evidence is uncertain and reliance on the test might even lead to poorer medical management of cancer in some cases, according new recommendation statements from an expert panel.

2 Feb 2009

Pre-emptive treatment helped curtail skin toxicity with Panitumumab

With a pre-emptive, prophylactic skin regimen, patients who receive panitumumab for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer may be able to avoid some of the skin-associated toxicities, according to data presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

19 Jan 2009

Transarterial chemoembolization as liver cancer treatment

Using tiny chemotherapy-soaked beads to choke off and kill cancerous liver tumors is becoming more successful, according to research being presented at the 21st annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET).

19 Jan 2009

Colonoscopy quality critical factor to thorough exam and best colon cancer detection

Publication of a meta-analysis by Wilkins et al. on colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer performed by primary care physicians raises several important issues regarding the quality of the exam, the safety of patients and the effectiveness of detecting colorectal cancer and pre-cancerous changes in the colon.

13 Jan 2009

Estrogen plus progestin therapy may decrease risk of colorectal cancer

The combination of estrogen plus progestin, which women stopped taking in droves following the news that it may increase their risk of breast cancer, may decrease their risk of colorectal cancer, according to a report published in the January issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

8 Jan 2009