New Diagnostic Faecal Test Could Identify Colorectal Cancer (p 1917)May 29, 2002Authors of a research letter in this week's issue of THE LANCET describe a new technique where the detection of a specific protein in faeces could be a marker for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is a common disease (causing around 500,000 deaths each year worldwide), and screening methods that are more reliable than colonoscopy and faecal-blood assessment are needed for earlier disease detection. Nicholas Coleman and colleagues from the MRC Cancer Cell Unit, Cambridge, UK, aim to develop a non-invasive, stool-based assessment that can identify a specific protein - minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2) - which is present in cancerous colorectal cells but not normal cells. In a clinical study, the investigators detected MCM2-positive cells from 37 of 40 patients known to have colorectal cancer; there was no detection of the protein in any of the 25 healthy individuals (the control group). Nicholas Coleman comments: "These findings suggest that detection of MCM2 in colonocytes retrieved from the faecal surface might be of value in the non-invasive diagnosis of malignant colorectal disease. The conditions of this study do not represent those of a general screening setting, and our findings might have differed in a population with a higher frequency of cancers of the right-side of the colon. Nevertheless, despite the requirement for rapid stool processing, our approach might ultimately prove suitable for population screening, either alone or in combination with other tests." Lancet |
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| Related Colorectal Cancer Current Events and Colorectal Cancer News Articles 'Cross-talk' mechanism contributes to colorectal cancer Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health have identified a molecular mechanism that allows two powerful signaling pathways to interact and begin a process leading to colorectal tumors. African-Americans with colorectal cancer have poorer outcomes, lower survival rates New research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that African-American patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and are less likely to undergo surgical procedures compared with Caucasians, suggesting that improvements in screening and rates of operation may reduce differences in colorectal cancer outcomes for African-Americans. Colon cancer screening more effective earlier in day, UCLA study finds The effectiveness of a screening colonoscopy may depend on the time of day it is performed. According to a new UCLA study, early-morning colonoscopies yielded more polyps per patient than later screenings, and fewer polyps were found hour by hour as the day progressed. 1 disease, not 1 demographic The Asian continent has nearly four billion people living in 47 different countries, and each of these groups has their own unique set of health issues. But when they come to the United States, they're often lumped into one large demographic: "Asian/Pacific Islander." Study shows unsedated colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening well accepted by patients Researchers from Taiwan report in a new study that unsedated colonoscopy for primary colorectal cancer screening is well accepted in a majority of patients. M. D. Anderson redefines screening guidelines for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers Drawing on years of experience in cancer research and patient care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center released today the most comprehensive, risk-based screening guidelines publicly available to date for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. The bowels of infection Current research suggests that latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The related report by Onyeagocha et al, "Latent cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates experimental colitis," appears in the November 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. How to Lower Costs, Waiting Times for Colonoscopies Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, leading to over 50,000 fatalities every year. Excess body weight causes over 124,000 new cancers a year in Europe At least 124,000 new cancers in 2008 in Europe may have been caused by excess body weight, according to estimates from a new modelling study. Adding cetuximab to chemotherapy reduces advanced lung cancer death risk by 13 percent Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who are given cetuximab (Erbitux) in addition to chemotherapy are 13% less likely to die than those who receive chemotherapy alone, regardless of which chemotherapy drug cocktail is used, new research finds. They also experience slower disease progression and an increased chance of tumour shrinkage. More Colorectal Cancer Current Events and Colorectal Cancer News Articles |
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