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People considered “low risk” for colorectal cancer are having too many colonoscopies, and not enough patients considered “high risk” for the disease are having timely follow-up procedures, according to researchers with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
“In the emergency room, I end up diagnosing a lot of cancer,” says Dr. Mylissa Graber, medical director of the emergency department at West Palm Beach’s Good Samaritan Medical Center. “People don’t go to the doctor, don’t follow up on getting their tests done, and show up when (diseases) are pretty advanced,” she said to the Palm Beach Post.
Lawsuits began last month for four people who say the prescription bowel cleanser OsmoPrep caused them kidney damage that resulted in dialysis. OsmoPrep, made by Salix Pharmaceuticals, is a type of laxative called oral sodium phosphate, or OSP, used to cleanse the intestines prior to procedures such as colonoscopy. Salix Pharmaceuticals began marketing OsmoPrep in 2006. The drug generated more than $30 million in sales in 2008.
A new study by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Epidemiology confirms the need for continued colonoscopy surveillance in patients at risk for colorectal cancer, especially those with a history of precancerous polyps. It also highlights the importance for polyps, especially those that are precancerous, to be completely removed since cancer may develop at the site of polyp removal if residual tissue remains.
A new study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that drinking warm water prior to having a colonoscopy may help the bowel to relax and improve one’s comfort level during the procedure as well as offer more complete results, according to a Reuters Health report.
People who suffer from acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden loss of kidney function, are more likely to die prematurely after leaving the hospital even after their kidney function has recovered, according to a study conducted by researchers with the Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research. The data will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Yet another biotech company is diligently working to find a safer, less invasive test besides a colonoscopy to detect cancers of the colon and rectum. EDP Biotech Corporation of West Knoxville, Tenn., has announced that it is seeking FDA approval of a blood test to detect colon cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.
The rate of new colorectal cancer cases and deaths from colorectal cancers has declined, according to a report from leading health and cancer organizations. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among men and women, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
A Madison, Wis., company is developing a less invasive way of screening for colon cancer that it hopes will take the place of uncomfortable colonoscopies and increase the number of people willing to be screened for colorectal cancers. Exact Sciences Corp., has developed a DNA-based test that can detect colorectal cancer through a stool sample. Even more convenient than a colonoscopy for the patient, the test can be administered at home and sent to a lab for analysis.
One year ago this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning on a common type of laxative known as oral sodium phosphate, or OSP, available both over-the-counter and by prescription. After years of investigation, the FDA finally alerted health care providers and the public of the risk of a serious kidney injury known as acute phosphate nephropathy associated with the use of OSPs.
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