The newly released report includes data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). The data shows a 3 percent decrease in new colon and rectal cancer cases in men and a 2.2 percent decrease in women. Deaths from colon and rectal cancers dropped 3.9 percent in men and 3.4 percent in women.

Using modeling projections of colorectal cancer rates, authors of the report say that with accelerated cancer control efforts in the United States, such as quitting smoking and having regular colonoscopies, as well as more effective chemotherapy treatments for the disease, overall deaths from colorectal cancers could be reduced by 50 percent by 2020.

“This report shows that we have begun to make progress reducing colorectal cancer. Yet, colorectal cancer still kills more people than any other cancer except lung cancer,” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D. “Reducing smoking further can bring lung and other cancer rates down, and improved colorectal cancer screening can prevent colorectal cancer.”

SOURCE: Fleet Attorney › NCI report: new cases of colon, rectal cancer deaths declining

The new test can detect more than 50 percent of pre-cancers and 85 percent of cancers, compared to 85 and 90 percent of cancers with a colonoscopy, says Kevin Conroy with Exact Sciences Corp. There is no day-long prep required, as with colonoscopy procedures, and the cost of the test is far less expensive – $300 to $400 compared to $2,500 for a colonoscopy.

The new test is expected to undergo clinical trials in 2011 and be submitted for FDA approval in 2012. While Exact Sciences isn’t the only company working to develop more patient-friendly screenings for colorectal cancers, it is the only one that focuses on stool-based DNA testing for cancers of the colon and rectum.

“We’re taking it through an FDA clinical trial and then we intend to commercialize it broadly throughout the U.S., and then eventually globally,” Conroy said.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, with more than 106,000 new cases of colon cancer and 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer reported in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. Regular colon screenings are recommended for people beginning at age 50 and earlier for people with a family history of colorectal cancer or who are experiencing symptoms such as blood in the stool.

Source: Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel

SOURCE: Fleet Attorney › Less invasive alternative to colonoscopy set for 2011 clinical trial

ACS and the task force recommend colon screenings beginning at age 50 with one of three tests – colonoscopy every 10 years, a sigmoidoscopy every five years, and a stool blood test annually. ACS also recommends a CT colonography or “virtual colonscopy” and a barium enema every five years. But the Preventive Services Task Force recommends stopping the regular screenings at age 75 unless advised by a physician. It also recommends against screenings for adults older than 85, as “there is moderate certainty that the benefits of screening do not outweigh the harm.” ACS has no recommendations on an upper age limit for colorectal screenings.

Cancer screenings are recommended based on their potential for saving lives by detecting disease early. However, such tests can be physically and emotionally trying, especially for the elderly, which leaves physicians and patients weighing the risks of the screenings against the benefits.

Not only do colonoscopies carry a higher risk of complications such as colon perforation among the elderly, the bowel preparation can also be uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous for older patients. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning on oral sodium phosphates, or OSPs, a type of laxative used to clear the bowel before procedures such as colonoscopies, after numerous patients developed a serious kidney injury following use of OSPs. The solutions are no longer recommended for use among older patients as they were more likely to develop the condition than younger patients.

The recommendations are primarily for people who do not have a family history of colorectal cancer. Every patient’s situation is unique, and both ACS and the task force suggest patients discuss their options with their physicians.

Sources:
American Medical News
Associated Press

SOURCE: Fleet Attorney › Task force advises stopping colonoscopies for elderly

The colonoscopy has been considered a gold standard in the detection of ulcers, colon polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. During a colonoscopy, a thin, flexible tube called a colonocsope with a video camera attached at the end is inserted into the rectum and colon, which allows your doctor to look at the lining of the large intestine.

During the colonoscopy, doctors can collect tissue samples, and abnormal growths, like polyps, can be removed. During the screening tests, doctors can check for cancer or precancerous cells in the polyps collected from the colon or rectum.

Before having a colonoscopy, patients must clean out their colons. A clear liquid diet is ordered and prescription or over-the-counter medications are usually taken to help loosen the stool and encourage elimination.

The procedures are extremely beneficial, but patients should be aware of some risks associated with the bowel-clearing products often used to prior to colonoscopies. Two prescription oral sodium phosphate (OSP) products from Salix Pharmaceuticals – Visicol and Osmo Prep – recently fell under a black box warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after reports of a serious form of kidney injury in patients who had used the products.

The FDA expressed similar concern over over-the-counter OSP solutions, such as Fleet Phospho-soda and Fleet Accu-Prep, that are often used at higher doses to cleanse the bowel before colonoscopies. As a result, maker C.B. Fleet has pulled those products from the shelves, making them only available by prescription.

You should discuss any concerns with your doctor.

Sources:
American Cancer Society
WebMD

SOURCE: Fleet Attorney › Colonoscopies beneficial for finding cancer early