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A blood test to screen for colorectal cancer in average-risk individuals without symptoms accurately detected the malignancy in 83% of people confirmed to have the disease, a study released Wednesday showed. The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers said the blood test's accuracy rate for colorectal cancer is similar to at-home stool tests. It's a promising step, they said, to developing more accessible screening tools for catching the disease early -- when it's easier to treat. The test would could improve upon low levels of colorectal cancer screening -- a major cause of cancer-related mortality...

I have previously reported on my concern about the rise in stable cancer relapses that I have witnessed in my melanoma clinic. None of these patients of mine presented with the classic prodrome of relapse that I had always noticed previously, such as severe depression due to bereavement, divorce or bankruptcy. Indeed the only thing I found they had in common was to have had a recent booster mRNA covid vaccine. I phoned around my colleagues not only in the UK but also in Australia to check their experience. In no case did they deny such a link. Indeed, they...

Incorporating navy beans into the diet of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors has the potential to positively impact both gut and host health by modulating markers linked to obesity and disease, according to research. The findings revealed BE GONE trial participants who added a cup of navy beans daily to their regular meals saw positive changes in their gut microbiome, which is associated with cancer prevention and improved treatment outcomes. Changes included an increase of alpha diversity, or beneficial bacteria (Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium, and Bifidobacterium) and decreased pathogenic, or opportunistic, bacteria. "Observing a shift in microbiome diversity with diet intervention alone is...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) with synchronous peritoneal metastases (SPM) is a challenging disease to treat with a relatively poor prognosis. However, recent advances in treatment strategies have led to improved outcomes for patients with SPM. The optimal treatment approach for CRC with SPM remains controversial. A growing body of evidence suggests that comprehensive treatment, including cytoreductive surgery (CRS), chemotherapy, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), may improve patient outcomes. A recent study evaluated the treatment strategies and outcomes of patients with CRC with SPM. The study included a large sample of patients and the findings suggest that comprehensive treatment was associated with...

Researchers have identified four important signs and symptoms that signal an elevated risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. These red flags may be key to earlier detection and diagnosis of early-onset colorectal cancer among younger adults. The number of young adults with colorectal cancer has nearly doubled in recent years. Studying health insurance data with early-onset colorectal cancer—cancer that occurs before a person turns 50—the researchers found that in the period between three months and two years before diagnosis, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea and iron deficiency anemia each indicate an increased risk in those under age 50. They found that...

High levels of ammonia in tumors leads to fewer T cells and immunotherapy resistance in mouse models of colorectal cancer, findings revealed. Researchers found that ammonia inhibits the growth and function of T cells, which are vital for anti-tumor immunity. "We identified the mechanism of how ammonia dysregulates T cell function and showed that reducing ammonia levels using FDA-approved drugs for hyperammonemia can reduce tumor size in several different models including metastatic colorectal cancer," says Hannah Bell, Ph.D. "Use of this drug also synergizes with immunotherapy. If you treat mice with immunotherapy when you also treat them with this ammonia...

Quentin Oliver Lee, best known for his role as the Phantom in the US tour of “The Phantom of the Opera” and an off-Broadway role in “Oratorio for Living Things,” has died. He was 34. His wife, Angie Lee Graham, broke the news in an Instagram post, telling fans that he passed away in the “wee hours” of Thursday morning after a months-long battle with colon cancer. “It was the most beautiful moment of my life,” Graham wrote in the announcement which was posted to Lee’s account. “I saw his last breaths, held his hand tight, and felt his heartbeat...

On October 10, the world's first randomized study on using colonoscopy-screening to prevent colorectal cancer was presented. "Colonoscopy unfortunately is not a miracle cure for colorectal cancer. According to our study, it probably is not better than the fecal samples," says Michael Bretthauer. Previously, experts have assumed that the effect of using colonoscopy to detect colorectal cancer is higher than using fecal samples. Researchers have assumed that up to 9 out of 10 colorectal cancer cases can be prevented using colonoscopy. With fecal samples the same is assumed to be 2–3 out of 10 cases. In the study 1.2% of...

A physician-scientist has identified a novel combination immunotherapy regimen that demonstrated significant response in a subgroup of people with recurrent metastatic colorectal cancer. The study, developed and led by Marwan Fakih, M.D., enrolled 29 patients with chemotherapy-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer who had a biomarker known as microsatellite stable (disease). The participants received a combination immunotherapy treatment consisting of ipilimumab and nivolumab, plus the targeted therapy regorafenib. Of the 22 patients whose cancer had not yet spread to the liver, more than 50% are still alive after 20 months. The seven patients whose disease had spread to the liver also received...

Low doses of freeze-dried grape powder inhibit genes linked to the development of sporadic colorectal cancer, University of California, Irvine cancer researchers found. The study suggests that a diet rich in grapes may help prevent the third most common form of cancer, one that kills more than a half a million people worldwide each year. Around 7 percent of all Americans develop colon cancer during their lifetimes. Led by Dr. Randall Holcombe, director of clinical research at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UC Irvine, the study followed up on previous in vitro studies showing that resveratrol, a...

New clinical research shows that lamivudine, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor widely used in HIV therapy, stopped disease progression in 25% of patients with fourth-line metastatic colorectal cancer. Findings from the trial raise the possibility of an unexpected promising direction in cancer treatment, not just colorectal cancer. The trial included 32 patients with advanced metastatic colon cancer whose disease progressed despite four lines of previous cancer treatments. The first nine patients received the standard HIV-approved dose of lamivudine. "After giving them only this one drug—nothing else—we saw signs of disease stability," says co-senior author David T. Ting, MD, of the Mass...

Researchers describe a troubling increase in early-onset colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps, based on a large, nationally representative study of patients under age 50 who underwent colonoscopy. It was the first large-scale study to look at precancerous polyps in this age group. "We have known for many years that rates of colorectal cancer are rising in individuals younger than 50, prompting several medical organizations to recommend lowering the screening age from 50 to 45. What has been missing until now is confirmatory data of the prevalence of precancerous polyps in younger individuals. Because precancerous lesions are not reportable to regional...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and still lacks effective therapy. Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, has been shown to possess anti-inflammation, anti-virus, and antitumor properties. However, whether ivermectin affects CRC is still unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of ivermectin on CRC using CRC cell lines SW480 and SW1116. We used CCK-8 assay to determine the cell viability, used an optical microscope to measure cell morphology, used Annexin V-FITC/7-AAD kit to determine cell apoptosis, used Caspase 3/7 Activity Apoptosis Assay Kit to evaluate Caspase 3/7 activity, used Western blot to determine...

Actor Chadwick Boseman died last year at the age of 43 from stage 4 colon cancer. The “Black Panther” star represents a troubling trend of men younger than 49 who are at an unusually high risk of dying from colorectal cancer. According to a study published in the American Journal of Cancer Research, despite the overall reduction in the cases of colorectal cancer in America, there are geographical “hot spots” where cases of this potentially deadly cancer are soaring. June is National Men’s Health Month and it is critical that American men pay attention to their risk factors for developing...

Based on survival rates at 5 years for stage III-IV CRC, the results showed a significant 11.9% increase in deaths when comparing a 0-3 month delay to a >12 month delay. New research presented today at UEG Week Virtual 2020 has shown that delays in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening caused by COVID-19 has resulted in significantly increased death rates for the cancer. Researchers at the University of Bologna produced a model to forecast the impact of time delays in CRC screening on CRC mortality caused by COVID-19. The results found that moderate (7-12 months) and large (>12 months) delays in...

As we observe National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Melania and I join the American people in remembering those family members and friends who have been lost to this terrible disease. We extend our support to those brave individuals battling colon and rectal cancers and encourage them to always keep up the fight. Colorectal cancer accounts for 50,000 deaths each year, the third most among all types of cancers. Colorectal cancers affect people of every race and ethnicity, and are most prominent in people over the age of 50. Furthermore, colorectal cancers do not always show symptoms in the early stages,...

Dr. Boone Goodgame, an assistant professor in the departments of internal medicine and oncology at the University of Texas at Austin, and his colleagues focused on more recent trends. Using data from the National Cancer Database registry, they found that 12.2% of colorectal cancer diagnoses in the U.S. in 2015 were in people under the age of 50 years compared with 10% in 2004. The team also found that the percentage of colorectal cancer diagnoses in younger individuals went up in urban but not rural regions. In addition, doctors detected signs of advanced disease in more than half (51.6%) of...

If you don't eat chili peppers or hot curry much you may want to reassess that given new research that claims the peppers and curry can play a role in reducing the risk of colorectal and bowel tumors, as well as extend a person's lifespan by 30 percent. The study claims the active ingredient in chili peppers, called dietary capsaicin, decreases the cancer risk as it triggers chronic activation of an ion channel called TRPV1, which is a sensory neuron that protects the intestine against acidity and spicy chemicals. In essence adding chili peppers and hot curries to the diet...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. researchers said Wednesday they have discovered how a common oral bacterium can trigger a cascade of changes leading to colorectal cancer. The microorganism called fusobacteria, which are found in the mouth, may stimulate bad immune responses and turn on cancer growth genes to generate colorectal tumors, two studies published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe revealed. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Recent studies have shown that fusobacteria from the mouth are also abundant in tissues from colorectal cancer patients but it was not known...

Researchers from the University and the Mayo Clinic in Arizona have developed a vaccine that dramatically reduces tumors in a mouse model that mimics 90 percent of human breast and pancreatic cancer cases—including those resistant to common treatments. The vaccine, described this week in the early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals a promising new strategy for treating cancers that share the same distinct carbohydrate signature, including ovarian and colorectal cancers.