Researchers from Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine have discovered new genetic markers to identify Lynch syndrome-associated colorectal cancer with high accuracy.
Tag: Colorectal Cancer
Exercise boosts anti-cancer immunity and reduces inflammation in Lynch Syndrome patients
Regular and intense aerobic exercise may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in patients with Lynch Syndrome (LS) by improving the immune system’s ability to detect and remove potentially harmful cells, according to researchers at
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Only about a quarter of adults overdue for colorectal cancer screening report receiving a clinician recommendation for screening during wellness visit
Most adults overdue for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening report that they did not receive a screening recommendation from their clinician during a wellness visit in the past year, especially among historically marginalized populations.
Colorectal Cancer Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa Receiving Inadequate Care; Survival After Diagnosis Poor, New Study Shows
In new findings led by researchers at the American Cancer Society, Martin-Luther University in Germany, and many other institutes worldwide, fewer than one in 20 patients diagnosed with potentially curable colorectal cancer received standard of care in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mayo Clinic researchers publish key findings about cell proteins to determine effectiveness of immunotherapy for colon cancer
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have identified key findings that can assist clinicians in predicting whether a patient with advanced colorectal cancer will benefit from immunotherapy.
NCCN Announces Research Funding for Biomarker-Directed Therapy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, in Collaboration with Fight CRC and Pfizer
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Research Program (ORP) today announced new grants awarded to improve quality initiatives focused on optimizing biomarker-directed therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.
New Study in JNCCN Highlights Rapid Adoption of Clinical Research Results into Chemotherapy Prescribing Patterns
JNCCN study sheds light on a rapid shift in practice evolution by oncologists treating people with colon cancer adjuvantly after primary surgery, following publications from the IDEA collaboration.
GI symptoms persist in older female colorectal cancer survivors
More than 4 out of 5 older women survivors of colorectal cancer may be experiencing a range of gastrointestinal symptoms many years after being diagnosed and treated, a new study suggests.

Transcription Factors Contribute to Subtypes of Colorectal Cancers
New research in colorectal cancers directed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center suggests that expression of transcription factors — proteins that help turn specific genes on or off by binding to nearby DNA — may play a central role in the degree of DNA methylation across the genome, contributing to the development of different subtypes of these cancers. Methylation is a process in which certain chemical groups attach to areas of DNA that guide genes’ on/off switches.
Alcohol Use, Even at Low Levels, Increases Risk of Developing Disease
Even low levels of alcohol use can increase the likelihood of developing diseases like cancer and heart disease. A systematic review of studies of the relationship between alcohol use and risk of disease published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research found that disease risk increases as alcohol use increases and high levels of alcohol use have clear detrimental health effects. While lower-level alcohol use can be protective against certain diseases, it can have significant adverse health effects for many other diseases. The authors urge greater awareness that any level of alcohol use can increase a person’s risk of developing serious, even fatal, diseases.
Bowel Research UK chooses Symplectic Grant Tracker to power life-changing research
Bowel Research UK has chosen Symplectic Grant Tracker from Digital Science’s suite of flagship products to advance its aims of funding life-changing research into bowel cancer and other bowel diseases.
Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer experience survival benefits with fruquintinib
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported study results showing that the targeted therapy fruquintinib significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Findings from the global FRESCO-2 trial, published today in The Lancet, were first presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2022.
Targeted Chemotherapy Helps Cure Some Inoperable Tumors
Physicians at Cedars-Sinai Cancer are using a unique chemotherapy delivery system that offers hope to colorectal cancer patients whose disease has spread and who now have inoperable liver tumors. Cedars-Sinai is one of the few centers in the area to offer the therapy, called hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pump chemotherapy.

Start screenings at age 45 to prevent colorectal cancer, UT Southwestern experts advise
Colorectal cancer is on the rise among younger adults. According to the American Cancer Society, the proportion of cases among people under 55 increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019, and it is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men younger than 50.
ASCO23: Sylvester Cancer Experts Available for Interviews on a Wide Range of Topics
In addition to presenting Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center research findings, Sylvester experts are available at ASCO to share perspectives on a wide variety of topics and studies ranging from breast cancer to sarcoma, prostate cancer, mesothelioma, melanoma, CNS tumors and more.

Study Reveals How Fatty Liver Promotes Colorectal Cancer Spread
Investigators at Cedars-Sinai Cancer found that fatty liver, a condition closely associated with obesity, promotes the spread of colorectal cancer to the liver. Their study, published today in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Metabolism, details the process at the cellular level and could change the way doctors manage the disease in some patients.
Study Explains How “Zombie” Cancer Cells Revive Themselves
One protein brings inactive colorectal cancers back to life, but drugs could block it, Rutgers researchers find.
Financial toxicity of cancer impacts partners’ quality of life
A cancer diagnosis can cause financial strain on patients as they cope with the cost of treatment and lost work. But what about their partners? A new study from University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center researchers surveyed the partners of colorectal cancer patients and found the financial impact of a loved one’s diagnosis also impacts the partner’s health-related quality of life.
Financial toxicity and quality of life among partners of colorectal cancer survivors
About The Study: This survey study found that partners of colorectal cancer survivors experienced long-term financial toxicity that was associated with worse health-related quality of life. Multilevel interventions for both patients and partners are needed to address factors at individual and…
April Issue of AJG Discusses Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors, H. pylori Infection, and Crohn’s Therapies
The April issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology highlights new clinical science, including an examination of changes in lifestyle habits and risk of colorectal cancer
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States and the second most common cause of cancer deaths for both men and women. While recent trends show a drop in new…
Prenatal exposure to anti-nausea drug in ‘60s, ‘70s tied to increased risk of colorectal cancer
Prenatal exposure to an anti-nausea drug commonly used in the 1960s and 1970s has been shown to increase risk of colorectal cancer in adult offspring, according to a study by researchers at UTHealth Houston.

Eng invited to White House Cancer Moonshot forum
Cathy Eng, MD, the David H. Johnson Professor of Surgical and Medical Oncology, has been invited to participate in the White House Cancer Moonshot Colorectal Cancer Forum. She will be at the White House Complex on March 10 as administration officials provide updates on progress on several key Moonshot initiatives and seek input from patients, caretakers, oncologists and researchers.
AI improving digestive cancer diagnosis, but data-sharing obstacles remain
Artificial intelligence is helping to deliver earlier and better diagnoses of digestive cancers, but many challenges remain to widespread clinical application, not least limited sharing of medical imaging data between hospitals, and lack of standardization of protocols for medical imaging for AI, a group of researchers has concluded after a comprehensive survey of recent applications of the technology to these most deadly of cancers.
UCLA Health expert available to discuss colorectal cancer screening, the increase in colorectal cancer in young adults, and more during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
UCLA Health expert available to discuss colorectal cancer screening, the increase in colorectal cancer in young adults, and more during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Folasade May, MD, PhD, UCLA Health colon cancer prevention researcher and gastroenterologist, is available for interview on a variety…
MD Anderson Research Highlights for February 22, 2023
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. Recent developments include a new understanding of how HPV drives cancer development, a combination therapy to overcome treatment resistance in mantle cell lymphoma, novel insights into memory T cell formation and potential therapeutic strategies for brain cancers, improved survival outcomes for metastatic colorectal cancer, targeting myeloperoxidase to improve immunotherapy responses in melanoma, and preclinical results of a combination therapy that could effectively treat a subset of acute myeloid leukemia.
Increased adenoma detection rate may significantly reduce post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer risk in a FIT-based screening program
A cohort study from the Italian Colorectal Cancer screening program including more than 49,000 colonoscopies found a significant inverse association between endoscopists’ proficiency as measured by adenoma detection rate (ADR) and post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC). These finding suggest that targeting only poor performing endoscopists with measures to increase ADR may significantly reduce PCCRC risk. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Immunotherapy with two novel drugs shows activity in colorectal cancer
A combination of two next-generation immunotherapy drugs has shown promising clinical activity in treating patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, a disease which has not previously responded well to immunotherapies, according to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher.
An Unprecedented Look at Colorectal Cancer
Researchers are building detailed maps of colorectal cancer to better understand the dynamics of the disease
Surgery First for Colon Cancer? Not So Fast, According to New Study in JNCCN
New research in JNCCN finds that immunotherapy from immune checkpoint (PD-1) inhibitors prior to surgery was strikingly effective for patients with localized mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC).
Large-Scale Study Led by Fred Hutch Finds New Genetic Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer, Paving the Way for Better Screening, Prevention
A comprehensive analysis of more than 100,000 colorectal cancer (CRC) cases, led by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle and 200 scientific collaborators worldwide, has identified more than 100 new genetic risk factors strongly linked with the disease.
Black patients more likely to get emergency colorectal cancer surgery
In an analysis of hospitals across the state of Michigan, University of Michigan researchers found that Black patients were more likely to undergo emergency surgery for colorectal cancer than other races and ethnicities. Emergency surgery was associated with a higher rate of complications, including death.
Protein Alters Expression of Extracellular Vesicle Pathway in Colorectal Cancer, Could Serve as Diagnostic Tool
Article title: IMP1/IGF2BP1 in human colorectal cancer extracellular vesicles Authors: Madeline Kuhn, Yang Zhang, John Favate, Mayu Morita, Aurora Blucher, Sukanya Das, Shun Liang, Ranjan Preet, Louis R. Parham, Kathy N. Williams, Sudheer Molugu, Randall J. Armstrong, Wei Zhang, Jiegang…
MD Anderson Research Highlights: SITC 2022 Special Edition
This special edition features upcoming presentations by MD Anderson researchers at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 37th Annual Meeting, including immunotherapy advances in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancers, microbiome signatures linked with specialized immune-cell clusters, and promising early activity from novel immunotherapy drugs in advanced melanoma and colorectal cancer.
New Study Shows Cancer Mortality Higher Among American Indian and Alaska Native Individuals; Colorectal Cancer Rapidly Increasing Before Age 50
New findings by researchers at the American Cancer Society show overall cancer mortality among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals is 18% higher than among White individuals despite similar cancer incidence. This disparity is driven by common cancers that are receptive to early detection.
Henry Ford Hospital Earns Prestigious Recognition from National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer
Henry Ford Hospital has earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), which was developed through a collaboration between the OSTRiCh (Optimizing the Surgical Treatment of Rectal Cancer) consortium and the Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons.
Study finds less expensive noninvasive test is an effective alternative to a more costly test for colorectal cancer screening
Commercially available noninvasive screening tests for colorectal cancer—a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and the multi-target stool DNAtest—are equally effective for screening patients with early-stage colorectal cancer.
Timely surveillance with chest imaging may benefit colorectal cancer patients
Colorectal cancer patients with certain clinical characteristics may benefit from more frequent chest imaging to help identify and target cancer that has spread to the lungs.
Physicians debate CRC guidelines, available screening options for younger patients
In a new Annals ‘Beyond the Guideline’s feature, a primary care physician and a gastroenterologist discuss the recommendation to begin colorectal cancer (CRC) screening at age 45, review options for CRC screening, and discuss how to choose among the available options. All ‘Beyond the Guidelines’ features are based on the Department of Medicine Grand Rounds at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston and include print, video, and educational components published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
One sigmoidoscopy significantly reduces long-term CRC incidence in both men and women
A pooled analysis evaluating the 15-year effect of sigmoidoscopies has found that receiving one sigmoidoscopy significantly reduces long-term incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in both men and women. The analysis is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
UTHealth Houston study: Lower cancer screening rates differ by region, tied to social vulnerability
Populations in U.S. counties defined as more vulnerable based on social factors including socioeconomic status and racial/ethnic minority status were significantly less likely to receive timely breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings, according to research from UTHealth Houston.

UCSF Develops First of Its Kind Robotic Surgery Trial in Partnership with FDA
UCSF Health is recruiting patients for the only FDA-approved study of the use of single port robotic technology for colorectal surgery in the United States. UC San Francisco clinical investigators Ankit Sarin, MD, FACS, and Hueylan Chern, MD, initiated the study which will evaluate whether single port robot technology is more advantageous than the current multi-port technology used in colorectal surgery.
Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer experience survival benefits with fruquintinib
Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported study results showing that the targeted therapy fruquintinib significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Findings from the global FRESCO-2 trial were presented today at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2022.
MD Anderson Research Highlights: ESMO 2022 Special Edition
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. This special edition features upcoming oral presentations by MD Anderson researchers at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2022 focused on clinical advances across a variety of cancer types. Highlights include promising early data from a novel T cell therapy for solid tumors, targeted therapy progress in rare and advanced cancers, biomarkers of immunotherapy response, and features associated with clinical outcomes in leptomeningeal disease. More information on ESMO content from MD Anderson can be found at MDAnderson.org/ESMO.
MD Anderson and Erasca announce strategic research and development collaboration in RAS/MAPK-driven cancers
MD Anderson and Erasca announced a strategic research and development collaboration to evaluate multiple agents from Erasca’s pipeline targeting the RAS/MAPK pathway in cancer.
New UCI-led research reveals the circadian clock influences cell growth, metabolism and tumor progression
In a new University of California, Irvine-led study, researchers define how the circadian clock influences cell growth, metabolism and tumor progression. Their research also reveals how disruption of the circadian clock impacts genome stability and mutations that can further drive critical tumor promoting pathways in the intestine.
JMIR Human Factors | Health Records for Communication in Colorectal Cancer Networks
JMIR Publications recently published “Uses of Personal Health Records for Communication Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors, Caregivers, and Providers: Interview and Observational Study in a Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory” in JMIR Human Factors which reported that personal health records (PHRs) may be useful for patient self-management and participation in communication with their caregivers and health care providers.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for July 27, 2022
Clinical advances include treating hematologic cancers with effective targeted therapies, circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for recurrence with colorectal liver metastases, and using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide surgical decisions for patients with lateral pelvic lymph node metastases in rectal cancer. Laboratory findings offer new understanding of the pancreatic cancer immune microenvironment, melanoma cell states, TP53 mutation status in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and potential targets for metastatic prostate cancer and GNAS-mutant colorectal cancer.
In With the New
“I think for me, what I find most interesting about rectal cancer is the multidisciplinary and individualized care and a new trend in treatment to offer organ preservation instead of surgery in selected patients,” she said.
“I love surgery, but I also know the consequences of doing surgery. I saw UNM was also interested in this treatment strategy that might be more beneficial for some patients and I wanted to be in a cancer center where I could offer that approach.”
New Research on Colorectal Cancer
Michael Cecchini, MD, recently received a K08 grant from the NCI to conduct research aimed at investigating multiple clinical trials for patients with colorectal cancer. The first trial is a Phase II study in which patients will be treated with a combination not normally used against colorectal cancer: temozolomide (TMZ), a well-known drug, and olaparib, from the relatively new class of drugs of PARP inhibitors.