Coloncancer and bran fibers
The use of bran (cereal fibre) for the treatment of colon cancer must be one of the most
perverse aspects of 'healthy eating' as it appears that bran may actually be a major cause
of the complaint.
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/colon-cancer.html
Low Intake of Vitamin B-6 Is
Associated with Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Japanese Men
Our results support previous evidence that low vitamin B-6 intake is associated with an
increased risk of colorectal cancer. In particular, a higher intake of vitamin B-6 appears
beneficial in men with higher alcohol intake.
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/index.html
New technique effective in closing
accidental colonoscopy wounds
In a series of animal studies, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston have developed a technique for closing colonoscopy-caused perforations promptly
after they are recognized by using clips or sutures that can be inserted through the anus
via endoscope, thus avoiding invasive surgery.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/uotm-nte052307.php
Study reveals aspirin's colorectal
cancer prevention mechanism
Aspirin therapy's ability to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, seen in a large number
of studies, appears to depend on the drug's inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme, the action
that also underlies aspirin's usefulness for treating pain and inflammation. Investigators
from Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and
Women’s Hospital have found that regular aspirin intake only reduced the incidence of
colorectal tumors that overexpress COX-2.
http://www.massgeneral.org/news/releases/052307chan-fuchs.html
12 Myths About Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and the No.
1 cause of cancer death among non-smokers. More than 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed
with colon cancer this year, and 52,000 will die from the disease.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=63811&nfid=rssfeeds
Study calls virtual colonoscopy most
cost-effective colon cancer screening test
A new study says targeting smaller (ӆ5 mm) lesions does little to significantly reduce
the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and, in fact, results in extremely high financial
costs and a large proportion of adverse events. Published in the June 1, 2007 issue of
CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, a cost-benefit analysis
study says the low malignancy rate among so-called diminutive polyps gives virtual
colonoscopy with removal of lesions 6 mm or greater the best estimated value per life year
gained and with fewer complications.
Effective screening through increased use of any of several available tests is the key to
reducing deaths from colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death in both
men and women. Despite the availability of effective screening tests, screening rates
remain low and CRC-related deaths remain high.
Optical colonoscopy (OC) and flexible sigmoidscopy (FS) have been the primary screening
tools for the last few decades but are associated with complications ØC from abdominal
pain to life-threatening bowel perforation and bleeding. Virtual colonoscopy, or CT
colonography (CTC), has arisen as a potentially effective CRC screening tool. Using x-rays
and imaging software to develop two- and three-dimensional images of the gastrointestinal
tract, it has fewer adverse effects and is better tolerated by patients. Recent studies
using new methods have demonstrated that the test is very sensitive for CRC and could be
an effective screening option for patients.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/jws-scv041807.php
Gut Research Yields New Cancer Approach
Researchers believe they have discovered by chance a new way to fight colorectal cancer,
and potentially cancers of the esophagus, liver and skin. Early work shows that a group of
compounds called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR?) inhibitors may
have an unexpected cancer-fighting effect, according to research published today in the
journal International Cancer Research. Furthermore, the new studies suggest that PPAR?
inhibitors act through some of the same mechanisms as the blockbuster chemotherapy Taxol,
but with key differences.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1360
Genetic analysis enables
personalising of treatment of cancer of the lung and colon and of certain sarcomas
Genetic analysis has enabled the personalising of the pharmaceutical treatment of patients
with cancer, enhancing thereby therapeutic efficacy and minimising possible toxicity. In
concrete, the Biotechnology Laboratory team at the University Hospital (University of
Navarra), in close collaboration with the Pharmacogenomics laboratory at the Centre for
Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the same University, undertook these analyses
predictive of responses to pharmaceutical drugs in patients with cancer of the lung, the
colon and certain types of sarcoma.
Research into the mutations of a gene known as EGFR that can be found altered in lung
cancer may help to determine the response of a new group of pharmaceutical – the
tyrosine quinase inhibitors of the epidermic growth factor receptor. Also, the presence of
genetic changes in specific fragments of PDGFR-alfa genes as well a sin the c-kit gene can
pinpoint which treatment is likely to be more efficacious in certain gastrointestinal
sarcomas. In this respect, the Department of Oncology at the University Hospital
(University of Navarra) and the Centre for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the same
University are collaborating in the identification of these genetic changes based on the
study of the tumour prior to the application of treatment in the patient.
We are currently analysing genetic changes which will help us define the parameters needed
to interpret what the best set of pharmaceutical drugs might be to act on certain tumours,
particularly cancers of the lung, of the colon and sarcomas.
http://www.basqueresearch.com/berria_irakurri.asp?Gelaxka=1_1&Berri_Kod=1217&hizk=I
1 surgery better than 2 for some
colorectal cancer patients
A single surgery to remove cancer from both the colon and the liver to which it has spread
may be better in some cases than the current standard treatment of two separate surgeries
with chemotherapy in between, according to a study led by Duke University Medical Center
researchers.
http://www.dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=10024
Bleeding during endoscopy - Do
anti-inflammatories play a role?
Does an aspirin-a-day increase the risk of bleeding during invasive diagnostic procedure?
This is an important concern for many patients who take these and other antiplatelet
agents in an effort to reduce heart attacks or strokes. Researchers at the MUHC have shown
that antiplatelet drugs do not contribute to post-endoscopic bleeding. Their findings are
published in this month's issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/mu-bde031507.php
Cell pathway identified in colon
cancer
In a study to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, {PNAS
Online Edition Feb. 20-23, 2007} led by Zhenghe John Wang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor,
Department of Genetics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Case
Comprehensive Cancer Center, researchers have identified a cell pathway which plays a
critical role in the development of colon cancer. This pathway may also play a role in the
development of lung and stomach cancers.
http://www.huliq.com/11845/cell-pathway-identified-in-colon-cancer
Improved Stool-Based Test Could
Boost Colon Cancer Screening
More convenient and less invasive tests are needed in order to increase colorectal cancer
screening rates in the United States, researchers say, and a type of fecal sampling test
may be ideal. The fecal sampling test, called I-FOBT, was approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration in 2001, but is used infrequently by doctors, said Dr. Thomas
Imperiale.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022000743.html
Omega-3 again linked to lower
colorectal cancer risk
Increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids may cut the risk of colorectal cancer in men by a
whopping 66 per cent, but only in men not taking aspirin, suggests new research.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=74474-omega-colorectal-cancer-heart
Estrogen study provides new impetus
for development of colon cancer drugs
The female hormone estrogen may hold important clues for scientists working on new
therapies for colon cancer, a study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers suggests.
Using data from a long-running study of women's health, the investigators found that
postmenopausal women with colon cancer lived longer and had less likelihood of dying of
the disease if they had been taking estrogen supplements within five years of their
diagnosis. In this new study, published in the Dec. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical
Oncology, investigators examined the effect of estrogen use on the survival of older women
already diagnosed with the disease.
http://www.dana-farber.org/abo/news/press/2006/estrogen-study-provides-
new-impetus-for-development-of-colon-cancer-drugs.html
Colon cancers missed more often in
office setting
The rate of new or missed colorectal cancers in patients undergoing colonoscopy is
influenced by where the screening procedure takes place and by who performs the exam,
Canadian researchers report. Cancers are more likely to be missed when the colonoscopy is
performed in an office setting, instead of a hospital, and by an internist or family
physician, instead of a gastroenterologist or surgeon.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070223/hl_nm/colon_cancers_dc
Rates of New or Missed Colorectal
Cancers After Colonoscopy and Their Risk Factors
Because having an office colonoscopy and certain patient, procedure, and physician
characteristics are independent risk factors for new or missed CRC, physicians must inform
patients of the small risk (2% to 6%) of these cancers after colonoscopy. The influence of
type of physician and setting on the accuracy of colonoscopy, potentially modifiable risk
factors, warrants further study.
http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/PIIS001650850602261X/abstract
Blueberries Contain Chemical That
May Help Prevent Colon Cancer
A compound found in blueberries shows promise of preventing colon cancer in animals,
according to a joint study by scientists at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The compound, pterostilbene, is a potent antioxidant that could be developed
into a pill with the potential for fewer side effects than some commercial drugs that are
currently used to prevent the disease. [Ben Licher]
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070325111552.htm
Fewer lymph nodes better in colon
cancer
The more lymph nodes are removed and examined during colon cancer surgery, the better the
outcome, according to a U.S. review of 17 studies.
http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/fewer_lymph_nodes_better_in_colon_cancer/
20070321-115312-6447r/
Study identifies a common genetic
risk factor for colorectal and prostate cancer
A study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
California has found that one of seven genetic risk factors previously identified as
increasing the probability of developing prostate cancer also increases the probability of
developing colorectal cancer.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/uosc-sia070607.php
Israeli scientists report major
advance in search for genes associated with colon cancer
An international team of researchers is reporting on a 10-year study of colon cancer among
Israeli Jews and Arabs. The researchers, led by a team from the University of Michigan
Comprehensive Cancer Center, discovered a genetic marker that increased a person's risk of
colon cancer by 23 percent. At the same time, three other research teams are reporting
similar findings involving the same gene, strengthening the likelihood that this
particular marker plays a role in colon cancer.
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2007/8q24.htm
To avoid colon cancer, eat more
fruit, study finds
The people who recalled eating large or moderate amounts of meat were 70 percent more
likely to have had a polyp than those who said they ate a lot of fruit but little meat.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN2139516220070321
Jefferson Scientists Uncover Gene
Mutation that Cuts Colon Polyps, May Suppress Cancer
Cancer biologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have found a gene mutation that
can dramatically reduce the number of colon polyps that develop, and in turn, potentially
cut the risk of cancer. In experiments with mice genetically prone to develop polyps,
researchers discovered that animals carrying one copy of the damaged gene, Atp5a1, had
about 90 percent fewer polyps in the small intestine and colon. Because people with large
numbers of such polyps are at significantly higher risk to develop colon cancer, the
finding may provide new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat colon cancer, the scientists
say. They report their findings March 22, 2007 online in the journal Genome Research.
http://www.jefferson.edu/news/index.cfm?artid=2007/article13862.html
Type of fat important in reducing
colorectal cancer risk
Greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA were dose-dependently associated with
reduced colorectal cancer risk. Participants whose omega-3 intake was in the top
one-fourth of participants experienced a 37 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer than
those who intake was in the lowest quarter, while having EPA and DHA in the top fourth was
associated with a 41 and 37 percent lower risk.
http://www.lef.org/whatshot/index.html
Exercise May Protect Women Against
Colon Cancer
Long-term physical activity decreased colon cancer risk for postmenopausal women in
California Teachers Study. Los Angeles, Calif-Life-long physical activity may reduce colon
cancer risk for postmenopausal women who have never used hormone therapy, a USC-led study
suggests.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=66021&nfid=rssfeeds
Scientists identify a gene that may
suppress colorectal cancer
In Genome Research, a husband-and-wife research team from Thomas Jefferson University
report the discovery of a gene that, when mutated, may suppress colorectal cancer. To
conduct the study, the researchers used a strain of mice that develop polyps, or small
growths of tissue, in the digestive tract -- the harbingers of cancer. When these mice
possessed one copy of the mutated gene, the incidence of small intestinal and colon polyps
were reduced by about 90 percent.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/cshl-sia031507.php
Calcium, vitamin D may ward off
colorectal cancer
People who consume relatively high levels of calcium and dairy products and take vitamin D
supplements seem to be protected to some degree against colorectal cancer, researchers
have found. [Ben Licher]
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=
2007-03-28T203740Z_01_FLE874156_RTRUKOC_0_US-CALCIUM.xml
Prebiotic Inulin Boosts Bacteria and
Reduces Colon Cancer Linked Enzyme – Study
The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, found that after four weeks of
consuming 2.5 grams of inulin twice daily, there was a 10-fold increase in counts of
beneficial Bifidobacteria among healthy volunteers.
http://www.nutritionhorizon.com/newsmaker_article.asp?idNewsMaker=
14506&fSite=AO545&category=26&page=1
Eating blueberries slashes colon
cancer risk by 57 percent
A compound found in blueberries shows promise of preventing colon cancer, according to a
new study. Scientists at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
conducted a joint study on animals, and found that the compound -- called pterostilbene --
lessened pre-cancerous lesions and inhibited genes involved in inflammation. Researchers
presented the study at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in March.
http://www.newstarget.com/021951.html
Scientists develop new drugs to
fight colon and breast cancer more effectively
A new technique called "microarrays" was used in this study, which enables the
identification of the specific effects produced by drugs on each human gene. The study,
conducted in the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology at the University of Granada,
looked at six new compounds which reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Results
available in Tetrahedron.
http://prensa.ugr.es/prensa/research/verNota/prensa.php?nota=439
Common cancer gene sends death order
to tiny killer
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered one way the p53 gene does what it's known for
-- stopping the colon cancer cells. Their report will be published in the June 8 issue of
Molecular Cell.
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2007/05_31_07.html
CT colonoscopy has 90 percent
agreement rate with optical colonoscopy
Nearly 90 percent of colon polyps greater than or equal to six mm in size detected at CT
colonoscopy were demonstrated to represent true polyps at subsequent optical colonoscopy
(the traditional method of viewing the colon and removing precancerous growths), according
to a new study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in
Madison, Wis.
http://www.arrs.org/pressroom/info.cfm?prID=217
Gender impacts colorectal cancer
progression
Physiological differences between men and women may contribute to differential tumor
development and progression in colon cancer patients, a study led by researchers at the
University of Southern California suggests.
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13939.html
Stanford researchers find stem cells
in colorectal tumors
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified the cancer stem
cells that propagate tumors in colon and rectal cancer, a discovery that could lead to
improved treatment of this deadly cancer.
http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2007/june/clarke.html
Diet may influence survival after
treatment for stage III colon cancer, study suggests
Patients with stage III colon cancer who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy with the
goal of cure may have a higher risk of relapsing and dying early if they follow a
predominantly "Western" diet of red meat, fatty foods, refined grains and
desserts, according to research led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in
Boston. The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual
meeting in Chicago.
http://www.dfci.harvard.edu/abo/news/press/2007/
diet-may-influence-survival-after-treatment-for-stage-iii-colon-cancer.html
Scientists develop new drugs to
fight colon and breast cancer more effectively
A new technique called "microarrays" was used in this study, which enables the
identification of the specific effects produced by drugs on each human gene. The study,
conducted in the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology at the University of Granada,
looked at six new compounds which reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Results
available in Tetrahedron.
http://prensa.ugr.es/prensa/research/verNota/prensa.php?nota=439
Can a Mediterranean diet prevent
colon cancer?
Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center are beginning a
study to look at whether diet can impact a person’s risk of developing colon cancer.
Specifically, the researchers will compare a Mediterranean diet – high in olive oil,
nuts and fish – with a standard healthy eating plan.
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=38380
Diet May Influence Survival After
Treatment For Stage III Colon Cancer, Study Suggests
Patients with stage III colon cancer who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy with the
goal of cure may have a higher risk of relapsing and dying early if they follow a
predominantly "Western" diet of red meat, fatty foods, refined grains, and
desserts, according to research led by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in
Boston. The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual
meeting in Chicago.
http://www.dentalplans.com/articles/19027/
Targeted lymph node examination
improves staging of colon cancer
Examining more carefully the lymph nodes to which colorectal cancer is most likely to have
spread may improve the accuracy of colon cancer staging and spare some patients the cost
and toxicity of chemotherapy.
http://www.xagena.it/news/medicinenews_net_news/
fae9389a7378751dfbd769fc5786f319.html
An hour a day of exercise cuts colon
cancer risk
One hour a day of vigorous physical activity or two hours of moderate activity reduces the
risk of colon cancer, European researchers say.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/12/11/exercise-colon-cancer.html
Red meat and colon cancer
One of the earlier indications that the international variation in colon cancer incidence
might be attributed to differences in dietary habits, especially meat and fat consumption
was given in the cross-sectional studies of Drasar and of Armstrong. At the population
level, colon cancer incidence was highly correlated to daily meat consumption. Later, a
possible association between meat consumption and colon cancer was assessed in analytical
epidemiological studies, which have the advantage that exposure to dietary variables and
responses can be individually related. In recent reviews of the case-control studies
concerning meat and colorectal cancer, it was reported that in the majority of these
studies a positive association between meat consumption and colon cancer risk was found.
http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/FILES/faculties/
medicine/2000/a.l.a.sesink/thesis.pdf
Report calls for using heated
chemotherapy after colon cancer surgery to optimize patient survival
There is new hope for some of the most seriously ill colon cancer patients today,
following the release of a consensus statement by 72 leading oncology surgeons from 14
countries, including the United States. The Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Group (PSMG),
including doctors from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baylor University
Medical Center in Dallas; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa; Walter Reed Army Medical
Center in Washington; and St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, has concluded that surgery,
followed by heated chemotherapy delivered through the lower abdomen of the patient before
leaving the operating room, may significantly increase the life expectancy for patients
with Stage IV colorectal cancer.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/wcmc-rcf110206.php
Low folate diets found to increase
risk of colorectal cancer
A new study by scientists at the MUHC has revealed that a diet low in folate may increase
the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Published in the scientific journal Cancer
Research today, the study not only illustrates a way to prevent the disease but also
provides further insight into the mechanisms of the disease, which could lead to novel
therapies. Using animal models, the MUHC study is the first to demonstrate directly that
diets low in folate cause colorectal cancer, and follows on the heels of earlier research
by the same team that revealed how high folate diets can protect against heart
disease."This research, which is consistent with previous epidemiological studies in
humans, demonstrates a clear link between low dietary folate and the initiation of
colorectal cancer in animal models," says Dr. Rima Rozen, Scientific Director of the
Montreal Children's Hospital, Deputy Scientific Director of the MUHC, and lead
investigator in the study. "None of the mice fed a control diet developed tumours
whereas 1 in 4 mice on the folate-deficient diet developed at least one tumour."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/mu-lfd110206.php
Arizona Cancer Center researchers
discovering how a high fiber diet may be more effective at preventing colon cancer in men
than in women
A collaborative effort between the Arizona Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute
to understand the influence of diet on recurrence of colorectal adenomas - a precursor to
cancer - indicates that a high fiber diet may be more important for men than women.
Although the reason for a sex difference is unknown, researchers suggest that it may be
related to hormonal effects or the difference between the sexes in location of polyp
formation.
http://www.azcc.arizona.edu/docs/2006%
20press%20releases/fiber_Jacobs%20(2).pdf
Genome Code Cracked for Breast and
Colon Cancers
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have completed the first draft of the
genetic code for breast and colon cancers. Their report, published online in the September
7 issue of Science Express, identifies close to 200 mutated genes, now linked to these
cancers, most of which were not previously recognized as associated with tumor initiation,
growth, spread or control. “Just as sequencing the human genome laid the groundwork
for subsequent research in genetics, these data lay the foundation for decades of research
on colon and breast cancers,” says Victor Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant
professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news/index.cfm?
documentid=816&newstype=News%20Releases&action=showthisitem
A new approach to studying bowel cancer
Scientists at the Institute of Food Research have discovered that tissue that is
apparently normal in patients with bowel cancer behaves differently from that of healthy
people.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer and causes over 16,000 deaths in the UK each
year. These results, published today (1st July) in the US journal Cancer Research, have
important implications for how cancer research is carried out and could lead to a greater
understanding of how diet and environmental factors contribute to causing this type of
cancer, highlighting new strategies for prevention and treatment.
Whereas previous research in this area has tended to focus on the tumour itself, this
study in collaboration with researchers from Newcastle University and Wansbeck Hospital in
Northumberland, concentrates on changes found in the non-tumour bowel tissue in cancer
patients that appears normal.
“This is a different approach to cancer research, with the emphasis being on
prevention rather than treatment” says Prof Ian Johnson who led the research,
“Previous studies compare tumour tissue with non-tumour tissue from the same patient.
This is the first study that has compared apparently normal tissue from cancer patients
with tissue from healthy subjects to see which factors predispose certain people to bowel
cancer. The next step is to find out how abnormal levels of particular proteins contribute
to the development of cancer”.
The scientists compared the levels of proteins present in tissue taken from nine patients
with colorectal cancer, nine patients with polyps and thirteen healthy subjects.
http://www.ifr.ac.uk/media/NewsReleases/060630cancer.html
Unlocking Colon Cancer with Key of
Prevention
An international team of scientists reports that a single 400-milligram daily dose of
celecoxib, commonly called Celebrex® and manufactured by Pfizer, significantly reduced
recurrence of adenomas, or pre-malignant colon tumors - within three years of previous
adenoma removal.
The New England Journal of Medicine today published findings from the Prevention of
Spontaneous Adenomatous Polyps (PreSAP) study, involving more than 1,550 participants at
107 sites in 32 countries on six continents. The study was led by Nadir Arber, M.D., chair
of the Integrated Cancer Prevention Center and professor of medicine and gastroenterology
at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and Bernard Levin, M.D., vice president of Cancer
Prevention and Population Sciences at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer
Center.
http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/newsroom/
Online questionnaire helps determine
patients' probability of having gene mutations linked to colon cancer
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Faber Cancer Institute have developed
an online questionnaire to help physicians determine whether patients at risk for colon
cancer are likely to carry mutations in two genes linked to the most common hereditary
form of the disease.
http://www.dfci.harvard.edu/abo/news/press/2006/
Study Finds Stool Testing Novel Technique
for Detecting Colon Cancer
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that an improved version of the
non-invasive fecal DNA (fDNA) test to screen for colon cancer (CRC) demonstrates a higher
sensitivity for detecting cancers of the colon.
This is an exciting achievement for this technology. Fecal DNA testing has already shown
promise for non-invasive tool for colon cancer detection. But, we can now say this test is
more sensitive which ultimately means better results for the clinician and the patient.
Better tests mean greater detection and less loss of life,” said Steven Itzkowitz,
M.D., Professor and Associate Director of Gastroenterology at The Mount Sinai Medical
Center. “The fact that the new version of the test includes fewer markers makes the
new test even easier to perform.
http://fusion.mssm.edu/media/content.cfm?storynum=287
Jefferson Researchers Uncover Genetic
Signature that Predicts Colon Cancer
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have uncovered a genetic
“signature” that accurately identifies colon cancer--a key, they hope, to better
understand how the cancer develops. Colon cancer may begin when processes that regulate
adult stem cells in the colon go awry. A handful of stem cells lie in the bottom of tiny
tube-like “crypts” in the epithelium (or lining) of the colon. Stem cells
produce daughter cells that proliferate, eventually making their way to the top of the
crypt, where they become specialized colon cells. Simply put, mutations in the stem cells
lead to mutant daughter cells and cancer.
http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/news/2006/article11792.html
Jefferson Scientists Reveal New
Mechanism That Causes Spread of Colorectal Cancer
Researchers have known for years that the enzyme MMP-9 plays a key role in the spread of
colorectal cancer. Now, scientists at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have found
out how the enzyme helps initiate the process, known as metastasis. Their discovery of a
new molecular mechanism by which MMP-9 promotes cancer spread may provide a new target at
which to aim anti-metastasis drugs.
http://www.jeffersonhospital.org/news/2006/article11808.html
Meat Found to Elevate, Fish to Lower
Colorectal Cancer Risk
Those who like to eat ham and brats every day, significantly increase their risk of
getting colorectal cancer. In contrast, if fish is a regular part of one’s diet,
colorectal cancer risk is lowered. Earlier investigation results had already suggested
these interrelations. The evaluation of a study with about half a million participants has
now confirmed the hypothesis.
Those who like to eat ham and brats every day, significantly increase their risk of
getting colorectal cancer. In contrast, if fish is a regular part of one’s diet,
colorectal cancer risk is lowered. Earlier investigation results had already suggested
these interrelations. The evaluation of a study with about half a million participants has
now confirmed the hypothesis.
Study participants from ten European countries have been questioned about their dietary
habits and lifestyles since 1992 in a study named “EPIC” (European Prospective
Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition). These data are studied in relation to the
incidence of new cancer cases among participants. EPIC study centers in Germany are: the
German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), Heidelberg, and
the German Institute of Human Nutrition (Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung
Potsdam-Rehbrücke, DIfE).
Epidemiologists of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France,
which coordinates EPIC, jointly with colleagues from other EPIC study centers, have now
published results on the relationship between meat and fish consumption and colorectal
cancer risk. The analysis is based on 1.329 cases of rectal and colon cancer that have
been newly diagnosed among participants since the study was started.
Study subjects who had eaten a lot of what is called “red” meat (i.e., pork,
beef, veal, and lamb) or such meat products were diagnosed with colorectal cancer more
often than persons who ate only little of it. With fish, things are exactly opposite:
Those who ate a lot of fish were found to have a significantly lower colorectal cancer
risk compared to those with a low fish consumption. The consumption of poultry played no
role for colorectal cancer incidence.
Researchers estimate that the risk of colorectal cancer increases by 49% per 100 grams of
daily consumed “red” meat. An increase in daily sausage consumption by 100 grams
elevates the risk even by 70%. In contrast, 100 grams more fish daily reduce the disease
risk by one half.
http://www.dkfz.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/2005/
dkfz_pm_05_28_e.php
Colon cancer mortality and total
hardness levels in Taiwan's drinking water.
The possible association between the risk
of colon cancer and hardness levels in drinking water from municipal supplies was
investigated in a matched case-control study in Taiwan. All eligible colon cancer deaths
(1,714 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1989 through 1993 were compared with deaths from
other causes (1,714 controls) and the hardness levels of the drinking water used by these
residents were determined. Data on water hardness throughout Taiwan have been collected
from Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC). The control group consisted of people who
died from other causes and the controls were pair matched to the cases by sex, year of
birth, and year of death. The results show a significant negative relationship between
drinking water hardness and colon cancer mortality. Odds ratio and 95% confidence
intervals were 1.22 (1.04-1. 43) and 1.46 (1.22-1.75), respectively, for exposure to
moderately hard water and soft water compared with the use of hard water. Trend analyses
showed an increasing odds ratio for colon cancer with decreasing levels of hardness in
drinking water. This is an important finding for the Taiwan water industry and human
health.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1998
Jul;35(1):148-51
Yang CY, Hung CF. School of Public Health,
Kaohsiung Medical College, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st RD, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
Cancer Researchers Determine
Specific Amount of Vitamin D Needed to Cut Colon Cancer Risk in Half
Taking 1,000 international units (IU) of
vitamin D 3 daily appears to lower an individual’s risk of developing colorectal
cancer by 50 percent, according to an extensive literature review led by cancer prevention
specialists at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
Medical Center. The researchers call for prompt public health action to increase intake of
vitamin D 3 as an inexpensive, non-toxic prevention for a disease that claims 56,000 U.S.
lives each year.
“Studies over the last 25 years have
shown that vitamin D is associated with preventing colon cancer, but we haven’t known
how much is needed to produce a benefit,” said Edward D. Gorham, assistant adjunct
professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at UCSD School of Medicine and a cancer
epidemiologist affiliated with the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. “This paper establishes
the target level of vitamin D that could reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer by
half.”
Gorham added that this review, an invited
publication in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, does not prove a causal relationship and further studies need to be
done.
The researchers conducted a cost/benefit
analysis of their recommendations and conclude with the following: “Preventing
approximately half of colorectal cancer incidence by a program that would ensure vitamin D
adequacy could save an estimated $20 billion per year. Annual supplementation of all
Americans with 1,000 IU per day of vitamin D 3 would cost approximately $5 billion.
Although further economic investigation would be desirable, a gross estimate of the annual
return on investment, considering the cost of supplementation, would be $15 billion per
year, amounting to a nearly 40 percent per annum return on investment.”
By Nancy Stringer
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/health/vitaminD.asp
Selenium from High Selenium
Broccoli Protects Rats from Colon Cancer
John W. Finley2, Cindy D. Davis and Yi
Feng*
U.S. Department of Agriculture,,3
Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks,
ND 58203-9034 and * Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Internal Medicine,
University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40292
Colon cancer is the third most common newly diagnosed cancer in the United States and the
third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Previous supplementation studies have
demonstrated the efficacy of selenium (Se) for prevention of colon cancer in humans. The
metabolism of Se depends on its chemical form, and studies have shown that the chemical
form of Se in broccoli does not accumulate in the body as fast as other forms of Se and
may be especially beneficial for prevention of cancer. In the first experiment of the
present study, Fisher F-344 rats (n = 45) were allotted randomly to torula
yeast–based diets supplemented with the following: 1) no Se; 2) 0.1 µg Se/g diet as
selenate; 3) 1.0 µg Se/g diet as selenate; 4) 0.1 µg Se/g diet as selenized broccoli (Se
concentration of 500 µg/g); or 5) 1.0 µg Se/g diet as selenized broccoli. In Experiment
2, rats (n = 80) were allotted randomly to the same basal diet supplemented with the
following: 1) no added Se; 2) 2.0 µg Se/g diet as selenite; 3) 2.0 µg Se/g diet as
selenite + low Se broccoli; and 4) 2.0 µg Se/g diet as selenized broccoli.
Rats were fed the diets for 2 wk and
injected with a chemical carcinogen (3,2 dimethyl 4-amino biphenyl or dimethyl-hydrazine
in Experiment 1 or dimethyl hydrazine in Experiment 2; 2 rats/treatment were used as
vehicle controls). Supranutritional amounts of Se supplied as high Se broccoli
significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the incidence of aberrant crypts (AC) and aberrant
crypt foci (ACF; preneoplastic lesions indicative of colon cancer) compared with other
dietary treatments. Diets were controlled for the presence or absence of broccoli and for
the total amount of Se. The reduction in AC and ACF was a function of Se in high Se
broccoli and not a result of broccoli alone or Se alone.
Adequate dietary Se supplied as high Se
broccoli did not accumulate in tissues or increase glutathione peroxidase activity as well
as other forms and amounts of Se. Thus, Se from high Se broccoli may be metabolized in a
manner that diverts much of the Se into a pool that provides protection against colon
cancer.
Full
report
Green or white tea might provide a
protection against colon tumors
A new study has found that consumption of
moderate amounts of green or white tea might provide a protection against colon tumors
about as well as a prescription drug, sulindac, that has been shown to be effective for
that purpose.
The research was just published in the
journal Carcinogenesis by scientists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State
University, in studies funded by the National Cancer Institute.
A new study from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University suggests that
consumption of green and white tea can be just about as effective as use of the
prescription drug sulindac in preventing colon tumors in a certain type of laboratory
mouse that is genetically predisposed to cancer. The control group of mice received no
treatments, and developed an average of about 30 tumors each. The most effective results
were obtained with a combination of tea and sulindac.
It may suggest some optional approaches to
cancer prevention or therapy, especially for people who have trouble with the side effects
that can be associated with regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or
NSAIDs, such as sulindac or aspirin.
The study also indicated that routine
consumption of green or white teas could be especially effective in combination with
NSAIDs, and provide more cancer protection than either of the products separately.
"Tea is one of the most widely
consumed beverages in the world, and recent upswings in the sales of green tea in the
United States can be attributed to reports of potential health benefits against cancer and
other chronic diseases," said Gayle Orner, an OSU research associate, in the report.
"Teas exert significant protective effects in experimental animal models of skin,
lung, esophageal, gastric, hepatic, small intestinal, pancreatic, colon, bladder and
mammary cancer."
Full report
HIGH FIBER DIET REDUCES COLORECTAL
CANCER RISK
Scientists at the International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC), the UK Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK
announced today the publication in the Lancet of two articles reporting strong scientific
evidence linking high fibre diet with a reduced incidence of both cancer and pre-cancerous
polyps of the colon and rectum. For reference, colon and rectal cancers rank among the
most common cancers worldwide, with almost 1 million new cases every year. These tumours
are most prevalent in the economically developed world but their incidence is increasing
in developing countries as well. Incidence of colon cancer is fairly similar in men and
women while cancer of the rectum is more frequent in men than in women.
Full report
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