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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eligible younger U.S. adults less likely to meet recommended colorectal cancer screening guidelines and face greater disparities

Younger adults living in the U.S. are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than older U.S. adults, despite now being eligible under new screening guidelines, and face greater disparities than older U.S. adults who are eligible for screening, according to research from UTHealth Houston.

Roswell Park Researchers Identify Molecular ‘Glue’ That Sticks to and Degrades a Cancer-Causing Protein

A small molecule discovered and developed by a team of scientists led by Fengzhi Li, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, eliminates human pancreatic and colorectal tumor cells by binding to and degrading DDX5, a powerful cancer-causing protein.

Study Finds COVID-19 Pandemic Reduced Breast, Cervical, Colorectal Cancer Screenings by Millions in 2020

New findings led by researchers at the American Cancer Society show the number of women in the United States who reported having a recent (in the past year) breast cancer or cervical cancer screening dropped by 2.13 million (6%) and 4.47 million (11%) respectively in 2020 compared to 2018. The study is the first of its kind to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer screenings nationally using population-based data.

DeepGI AI – A Thai Innovation for the Precision in Colorectal Polyp Detection

Chula Engineering and Chula Medicine co-invent an innovative device for a rapid gastrointestinal cancer detection that yields accurate results hoping to foster preventive medicine in gastrointestinal malignancy and reduce the number of cancer patients.

New Research Finds Computer Assisted Colonoscopy Identify More Precancerous Polyps Compared to Traditional Colonoscopy

Colonoscopies performed with artificial intelligence saw an increase in the overall rate of detection of adenoma, or cancerous and precancerous polyps, according to new data presented at the 2022 Digestive Disease Week Annual Meeting.

Does Multiple Sclerosis Play a Role in Cancer Screening and Diagnosis?

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are less likely to have breast cancers detected through cancer screenings than women without MS, according to new research published in the April 27, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Conversely, researchers also found that people with MS are more likely to have colorectal cancers detected at an early stage than those without MS.

November Issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology Discusses Association Between BMI and Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Risk, PPIs and All-Cause Mortality

The November issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology features several articles examining the association between common conditions or treatments and the risk for disease development, including a study on the association between higher body mass index and increased risk for early-onset colorectal cancer, and a population study on proton pump inhibitors and all-cause mortality.

New Clinical Advances in Gastroenterology Presented at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 86th Annual Scientific Meeting

Featured science includes increased incidence of pancreatic cancer among young women, quality of life improvements in IBD, colorectal cancer risk from weight loss surgery and medications, and more

New Noninvasive Tests for Colon and Prostate Cancer Presented at the 2021 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting

Two research teams have developed new noninvasive tests that use either blood or saliva samples to diagnose cases of colorectal cancer or prostate cancer, respectively. Presented today at the 2021 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, these tests could facilitate screening efforts for colorectal cancer and allow clinicians to better distinguish early-stage prostate cancer from more benign prostate conditions.

Maternal obesity during pregnancy linked to higher risk of colorectal cancer in adult offspring

Infants whose mothers were obese during pregnancy may have a heightened risk of developing colorectal cancer later in life, according to new research led by public health experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Mechanism for Development of Rare Colorectal Cancer Subtype Identified

Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, recently discovered a mechanism to explain what drives the formation of mucinous colorectal adenocarcinoma (MAC), a rare subtype of colorectal cancer.

Tumor cell PD-L1 may mediate sensitivity to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer treatment

Data in a study by Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers indicates that the level of tumor cell PD-L1, a protein that acts as a brake to keep the body’s immune responses under control, may be an important factor for sensitivity to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer treatment. The study was published Friday, July 2, in Oncogene.

New Patient Guide from NCCN Jumpstarts Important Conversations About Anal Cancer

New and updated patient and caregiver resources from National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) offer jargon-free, state-of-the-art information on diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance for anal, colon, and rectal cancers.

Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine

NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
– Study Says Failure to Rid Amyloid Beta Protein from Brain May Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease
– Johns Hopkins Medicine Team Discovers Novel Mediator of Once Mysterious Chronic Itch – Study Suggests Molecular Changes in Tissue Microenvironment May Promote Colorectal Cancer
– Researchers ID Anti-Inflammatory Proteins as Therapy Targets for Nasal and Sinus Problem
– Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Receives NIH Award to Study Dangerous Pediatric Disease