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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.
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.
Clinical trials of a vaccine designed to trigger the body to attack a protein linked to colon cancer are currently being conducted by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The vaccine activates the immune system to target a defective protein which is prevalent in colorectal cancer tissue and other precancerous tissues. Researchers hope, if proven successful, the vaccine may eliminate the need for repeated colon screenings in high-risk patients. These patients tend to have multiple precancerous polyps, called advanced adenomas, in their intestines. Routine colonoscopies look for signs of recurrence of the polyps.
