Colorectal Cancer Gene Identified By Case Western Reserve University Researchers
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers published a study in The American Journal of Human Genetics identifying the hereditary components of colorectal cancer (CRC.) “Identification of Susceptibility Genes for Cancer in a Genome-wide Scan: Results from the Colon Neoplasia Sibling Study” is the first large linkage study of families with CRC and colon polyps in the country. Because only five percent of CRC cases are due to known gene defects, this NIH-funded study is designed to identify the remaining CRC-related susceptibility genes. The team built on a previous study which identified a specific region on chromosome 9q that harbors a CRC susceptibility gene. Upon review of a whole genome scan of all chromosome pairs in 194 families, the researchers were able to identify additional CRC gene regions on chromosomes 1p, 15q, and 17p.
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Smoking Is Related To Subset Of Colorectal Cancers
According to research from a team of Mayo Clinic scientists, smoking puts older women at significant risk for loss of DNA repair proteins that are critical for defending against development of some colorectal cancers.
In a study being presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the researchers found that women who smoked were at increased risk of developing colorectal tumors that lacked some or all of four proteins, known as DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins. These proteins keep cells lining the colon and rectum healthy because they recognize and repair genetic damage as well as mistakes that occur during cell division.
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Perioperative Chemotherapy’s Role In Management Of Patients With Resectable Liver Metastases From Colorectal Cancer
Chemotherapy given both before and after surgery to remove liver metastases (secondary cancers) improves progression free survival over surgery alone in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, concludes a study published recently in The Lancet. The phase III European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) study demonstrated that perioperative chemotherapy (i.e. that given before and after surgery) was compatible with major liver surgery.
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PET Scanning Achieves Earlier Detection Of Colorectal Cancer Recurrence
Regular monitoring with positron emission tomography (PET) scanning – which detects changes in the function of cells – achieves earlier detection of recurrences of colorectal cancer than conventional scanning that simply looks at the structure of body tissues, a prospective study has shown.
Colorectal cancer – cancer affecting the lower part of the digestive tract – is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Western countries. Most people newly diagnosed with the disease undergo surgery to completely remove their tumour. However, approximately half of people who have curative surgery go on to develop recurrent disease. The median survival after surgery is two years. Adjuvant chemotherapy – anticancer drug treatment given just after surgery – improves the prognosis, but one-third of patients having this treatment still suffer a recurrence within two years after surgery.
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