Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Dramatic progress has been made in the prevention, detection and treatment of colorectal cancer. The five-year survival rate for early-stage colorectal cancer is now 90 percent, and overall mortality for colorectal cancer in the United States has fallen by 40 percent since the 1970s.

Recently, colorectal cancer has served as a proving ground for molecularly targeted therapies. Use of these treatments to attack tumors with a specific genetic profile can add many months to the lives of some patients with incurable disease. Researchers hope that by developing additional targeted drugs, and by combining them in new ways, they can continue to extend lives and cure more patients.

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2018

Shorter chemotherapy lowers the chance of nerve damage

Shorter chemotherapy lowers the chance of nerve damage

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An analysis of six large clinical trials establishes that three months of standard post-surgery (adjuvant) chemotherapy is just as effective as six months of treatment for patients deemed to have a low risk of cancer recurrence. Importantly, the shorter course of treatment is associated with fewer side effects, particularly nerve damage. This study shows how existing treatments can be refined to work better for patients, and these data now inform treatment discussions oncologists have with patients with stage III colon cancer.

2017

Increasing time between radiation and rectal cancer surgery lowers risks of surgical complications

Increasing time between radiation and rectal cancer surgery lowers risks of surgical complications

A large trial shows that delaying surgery for as long as 8 weeks after completing radiation (either short- or standard-course treatment) does not increase the risk of rectal cancer recurring, compared to having surgery within 1 week after completion of the short-course radiation treatment. Patients who received short-course radiation therapy and delayed surgery have a much lower risk of complications after surgery than those who received the same radiation without a delay in surgery. This data establishes shorter-course radiation with delayed surgery as an important new option for patients, with important benefits for their recovery at multiple points of treatment.

2016

Colorectal tumor location affects prognosis, may inform treatment choice

Colorectal tumor location affects prognosis, may inform treatment choice

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Research uncovers an unexpected factor may help explain why some patients with colorectal cancer do better than others: tumor location in the body. According to an analysis of data from a large clinical trial, patients with advanced colorectal cancer live longer if the cancer begins on the left side of the colon rather than on the right side. Further research suggested that the efficacy of two standard targeted treatments, bevacizumab (Avastin) and cetuximab (Erbitux), differs with respect to the side of the body where cancer began (although previous trials found that both treatments – in combination with chemotherapy - yield similar survival). For patients with left sided tumors, a cetuximab-based regimen was more effective than bevacizumab with chemotherapy, whereas patients with right-sided tumors derived limited benefit from either regimen.

2012

Two new targeted drugs available

2009

New gene assay predicts risk of colon cancer recurrence

New gene assay predicts risk of colon cancer recurrence

For the first time, doctors are able to use a genetic test to predict the risk of recurrence for patients with stage II colon cancer (cancer with very little to no spread within the wall of the colon). This improves their ability to determine which patients should receive additional chemotherapy treatments, sparing those with a lower risk of recurrence from unnecessary chemotherapy and related side effects.

Adequate bowel preparation essential for effective colonoscopy

Adequate bowel preparation essential for effective colonoscopy

Researchers show that proper bowel cleansing is essential to ensure the quality of results provided by routine colonoscopies. This cleansing includes adhering to a clear liquid diet and taking a bowel prep (involving a laxative or enema) the day before the procedure. Incomplete preparation is a fairly common problem, due to the dietary restrictions and the potential inconvenience involved.

Patients with advanced, incurable colon cancer do not need to undergo surgery on their primary colon tumor

Patients with advanced, incurable colon cancer do not need to undergo surgery on their primary colon tumor

Researchers show that patients who are newly diagnosed with advanced incurable disease do not need to undergo surgery on the primary tumor in their colon, unless that tumor causes significant complications. Although surgery was previously standard for all patients, investigators show that chemotherapy alone was sufficient at helping to control the patient's tumor so that it did not cause complications or affect their quality of life.

2008

Molecular markers predict effectiveness of widely-used chemotherapy drug and prognosis for early-stage colon cancer

Molecular markers predict effectiveness of widely-used chemotherapy drug and prognosis for early-stage colon cancer

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An analysis of data from multiple studies shows that "mismatch-repair status" – the cancer cell's ability to correct genetic damage – can help predict prognosis in patients with stage II and III colon cancers and whether they will benefit from 5-fluorouracil, a commonly used chemotherapy drug. According to this research, patients with cells that are unable to repair certain DNA damage (called MSI-High) are less likely to benefit from 5-fluorouracil. However, these patients are less likely to experience a recurrence following successful treatment with other therapies, and therefore are likely to have a better long-term outcome.

Flat colon growths more likely to be cancerous than more obvious ones

2007

Lymph node sampling for staging is refined

Lymph node sampling for staging is refined

Researchers determine that at least 12 abdominal lymph nodes need to be removed and analyzed during colon cancer surgery to accurately determine the stage of the tumor. This study finds that the more lymph nodes that were sampled, the longer a patient lived on average following therapy. Accurate staging is necessary to identify which patients are at high risk of recurrence and are therefore candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery.

Diet, exercise reduce risk of colon cancer recurrence

Diet, exercise reduce risk of colon cancer recurrence

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Patients who follow a low-fat diet and exercise regularly are found to have a lower risk of colon cancer recurrence after surgery for early-stage disease, demonstrating that lifestyle factors can have a significant impact on cancer recurrence. The results provide patients with new tools for reducing the risk that their cancer will return.

2006

Taking more time to perform colonoscopy increases screening accuracy

2005

Two targeted drugs approved for advanced colon cancer

Two targeted drugs approved for advanced colon cancer

The drugs cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix) are approved to treat colon cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic disease). These drugs attack tumors that express the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein, which is involved in cancer cell growth. Later, a coordinated analysis of multiple studies shows that cetuximab and panitumumab are effective only in patients with the normal form of a gene known as KRAS. This discovery helps physicians ensure that the drugs are used only for patients who stand to benefit, while eliminating unnecessary treatment and costs for patients who will not.

Conventional colonoscopy established as optimal screening method

Conventional colonoscopy established as optimal screening method

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Two studies show that conventional colonoscopy is better able to detect colon cancer than other, less invasive screening techniques such as "virtual colonoscopy," barium enema or fecal DNA testing. Researchers demonstrate that colonoscopy detects 98 to 99 percent of tumors – about twice as many as virtual colonoscopy (the use of CT scanning to provide a three-dimensional image of the colon) or barium enema. Current medical guidelines state that colonoscopy is the superior colorectal cancer screening tool, but emphasize that some form of screening with any of these tests is better than going without screening.

Right-sided colon cancers present a challenge for colonoscopy

Right-sided colon cancers present a challenge for colonoscopy

Researchers find that undergoing a colonoscopy every 10 years reduces the risk of cancer on the left side of the colon, but not on the right side. Subsequent studies confirm that right-sided colon cancers are more likely than those on the left to be missed during the screening procedure because it is harder to reach the right side of the colon and right-sided lesions may be flat and harder to detect.

2004

FDA approves first "anti-angiogenic" drug, bevacizumab

FDA approves first "anti-angiogenic" drug, bevacizumab

Bevacizumab (Avastin) is the first of a new generation of targeted drugs, called anti-angiogenics, that attack cancer by blocking the growth of blood vessels that tumors needs to grow. First approved to treat colorectal cancer, in 2004, the drug has since become an important treatment for patients with advanced lung, ovarian and kidney cancers, and for certain brain tumors, who have few other effective options.

Laparoscopic colon cancer surgery effective, better tolerated

Laparoscopic colon cancer surgery effective, better tolerated

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A study by researchers at multiple cancer centers finds that laparoscopic surgery to remove colon tumors was as effective as conventional open abdominal surgery, and was associated with shorter hospital stays and less pain after surgery. Laparoscopic surgery involves removing the tumor through multiple small incisions and a telescoping camera device. This less-invasive approach is now widely used.

Chemotherapy and radiation before surgery reduce side effects for rectal cancer patients

Chemotherapy and radiation before surgery reduce side effects for rectal cancer patients

Results from a large clinical study show that giving chemotherapy and radiation therapy before, rather than after, rectal cancer surgery reduces the risk of local recurrence (cancer recurrence in the pelvis, near the original tumor). Survival was similar in both approaches, but because the pre-surgery treatment regimen was more tolerable, it is now the standard approach for treatment of rectal cancer.

2003

Aspirin and similar anti-inflammatory medications help reduce colon cancer risk

Aspirin and similar anti-inflammatory medications help reduce colon cancer risk

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Two large studies show that taking daily aspirin prevents the development of precancerous colorectal polyps, and a later trial involving another anti-inflammatory drug, celecoxib (Celebrex), reports a similar finding. However, this use of aspirin or similar anti-inflammatory drugs is not yet recommended for cancer prevention among the general public, due to the risk of potentially serious side effects, such as stomach bleeding. Large, randomized studies are currently underway to evaluate the benefit of these drugs in prevention of polyps, second colon cancers and cancer recurrence.

New "FOLFOX" chemotherapy effective for colon cancer

New "FOLFOX" chemotherapy effective for colon cancer

Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) combined with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin (a regimen called FOLFOX) is approved to treat advanced colon cancer that has spread despite other treatments. FOLFOX is later approved for stage III colon cancer (cancer involving the nearby lymph nodes) following surgery, after a pivotal trial finds that it increased the time that patients live without their cancer returning (disease-free survival). Longer-term data from the same study found that the combination also extends patients' lives.

First oral chemotherapy drug helps simplify colon cancer treatment

First oral chemotherapy drug helps simplify colon cancer treatment

The FDA approves capecitabine (Xeloda) for patients with advanced (metastatic) colon cancer, and later for patients with stage III colon cancer (cancer with limited spread in the surrounding tissue) who have had surgery to remove the tumor. Capecitabine is a pill version of the widely used intravenous chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil that offers comparable effectiveness with a more convenient way for patients to receive their treatment. Recently, capecitabine has been combined with the drug oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) as an initial therapy for metastatic colon cancer and for early-stage colon cancer.