colorectal

A gene difference in up to a third of patients with colorectal cancer could help solve how it passes between generations, scientists say.

A colorectal cancer gene mutation found in 10% to 20% of colorectal cancer patients may be a big clue in genetic colorectal cancer risk, new research shows.

(UT Southwestern Medical Center) A protein previously thought to promote colorectal cancer instead suppresses the growth of human cancer cells in culture, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) A compound that accumulates in cells more readily than a commonly used colorectal cancer drug may be just as useful in treating colorectal tumors, but with fewer side effects, MIT researchers have found.

(American Cancer Society) A new study indicates that African-Americans with a family history of colorectal cancer are less likely to be screened than African-Americans at average risk for the disease.

Having a family history of colorectal cancer was associated with improved survival among patients with advanced colon cancer.

(JAMA and Archives Journals) Among patients with advanced colon cancer receiving treatment that includes chemotherapy, a family history of colorectal cancer is associated with a significant reduction in cancer recurrence and death, with the risk reduced further by having an increasing number of affected first-degree relatives, according to a study in the June 4 issue of JAMA.

For the first time, doctors have used a molecular test to pinpoint which people with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer are most likely to benefit from the targeted therapy Erbitux.

SAN DIEGO -- Adenoma-prone patients who took celecoxib (Celebrex) daily for three years had a 25% lower risk of new colorectal polyps and significantly fewer advanced ones two years after cessation of treatment.

(American Gastroenterological Association) Recently, researchers have begun looking to NSAIDs as having a potential role in the prevention of colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer and pancreatitis.

Three studies presented today at Digestive Disease Week 2008 investigate the potentially beneficial role that NSAID medications can play in the treatment of GI-related cancer and in the prevention of surgery-related inflammation.