Colorectal Cancer

Men and women over 50 should have regular screenings for colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths, U.S. health officials said Thursday. A Public Health Service advisory panel said people over 50 should have a stool sample tested annually for blood that can be caused in some cases by cancer of the colon or rectum. It also recommended having a doctor regularly look inside the rectum and lower colon with an instrument called a sigmoidoscope.

All Americans over the age of 50 should be screened for colorectal cancer, regardless of whether they are at high risk, according to new federal recommendations that don't advocate any particular diagnostic technique. People who have a family history or who suffer from diseases like ulcerative colitis should be screened earlier for colorectal cancer, the No. 2 cause of cancer death in this country (behind lung cancer) and the fourth most common cancer.

When actor Patrick Swayze died earlier this month of pancreatic cancer, it put a famous face on a grim disease. At 57, Swayze was young enough for his death to register shock. Swayze had an advanced case of the disease, as the cancer had spread to his liver. It's little comfort to realize he beat the odds -- most people with this diagnosis don't live more than a year after diagnosis, and Swayze lived for 20 months. In February, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery for her pancreatic cancer.

In an advance against end-stage colorectal cancer, researchers have found that combining a new drug called Camptosar with the standard ones can more effectively slow the cancer and prolong victims' lives slightly. Dr. Leonard B. Saltz of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York tested Camptosar (generic name irinotecan) together with the standard drugs, fluorouracil and leucovorin, in patients with Stage IV colorectal cancer.

Researchers have developed a new genetic technique that can detect more than half of all colorectal cancers before they become life-threatening. Early detection of colorectal cancer is important because the disease has a 90% cure rate if the tumor is still localized in the intestine, but only a 10% cure rate when the tumor has eaten through the intestinal wall.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug for people whose colorectal cancer has returned despite all available treatments. Irinotecan, to be sold by Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc. under the brand name Camptosar, becomes the first alternative for these patients in 40 years. About 134,500 Americans are found to have colon or rectal cancer each year. Ninety percent of patients whose tumors are caught early survive.

A daily aspirin dose can sharply reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in people who are at high risk of developing the disease, according to two new studies released today. The findings add to the mounting evidence that aspirin protects against this deadly disorder, but scientists are not yet ready to recommend everyone start taking it routinely because it is still unclear whether the benefits outweigh the risks.

A couple of influential young widows, a major-league baseball star and some political know-how have converged to raise Americans' awareness of one of the deadliest forms of cancer--colorectal cancer. With a blitz of advertising and public service announcements peaking this month, Americans will be reminded that simple screening tests could save thousands of lives.

Colorectal cancer rates are rising in adults under age 50 -- people who are not typically screened for such cancers. The finding, gleaned from a cancer surveillance database and published in the June issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, reported a 17% increase in this age group over a decade. Scientists aren't sure why this is happening, but there are some things they know and suspect.

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new drug for cleansing the colon before colonoscopy exams that requires drinking only 10 ounces of the product, not the 2 liters required with some current products such as Go Lightly. The patient must drink other fluids as well, but that can be water, soda or other pleasant-tasting liquids. The new cleansing agent, called Prepopik, is expected to be marketed by October, according to the manufacturer, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Parsippany, N.J. Colorectal cancer is the third-most common type of cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.