7 recent reports on gastrointestinal cancer
Healio Gastroenterology presents the following reports on the most recent research in gastrointestinal cancer.
These reports cover some of the latest developments in colorectal cancer screening and the how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting that screening, as well as “The Value of Colonoscopy,” a new campaign from the Association for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Coffee consumption may lower risk for death in advanced, metastatic colorectal cancer
Drinking coffee may reduce the risk for disease progression and death among patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer, according to results of a prospective observational cohort study published in JAMA Oncology.
“We have some hypotheses regarding why this association exists, such as the high antioxidant content of coffee or caffeine’s insulin-sensitizing effects, which other research has implicated in cancer development,” Christopher Mackintosh, MLA, medical student at Mayo Clinic, told Healio. “However, our study was not designed to test such hypotheses.” READ MORE
VIDEO: ASGE campaign highlights ‘The Value of Colonoscopy’
In this exclusive video, Jennifer Christie, MD, from the Emory School of Medicine, and Douglas K. Rex, MD, from Indiana University School of Medicine, discuss “The Value of Colonoscopy,” a new campaign from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
The campaign aims to raise awareness about the potential life-saving benefit of colonoscopy procedures and the importance of keeping up to date with screening. READ MORE
Combination therapy does not reduce progression of familial adenomatous polyposis
For patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, incidence of disease progression was not significantly lower with combination eflornithine and sulindac compared with either drug alone, according to recently published results.
“While the study found that overall progression of FAP-related events did not differ between the arms of the study, the compelling finding was that no patient in the eflornithine-sulindac combination arm required colectomy, proctectomy or resection of the ileal pouch over the 48 months of the study, which was not the case in the sulindac alone or eflorinithine alone arms,” Carol Burke, MD, director of the Center for Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention and head of the section of polyposis in the Sanford R. Weiss, MD, Center for Hereditary Colorectal Neoplasia at Cleveland Clinic, told Healio Gastroenterology. “Clinicians look forward to safe and effective therapy for lower gastrointestinal polyposis control in patients with FAP and would welcome the ability to combine sulindac with eflornithine to manage select patients who need it.” READ MORE
Screening delays due to SARS-CoV-2 could increase advanced CRC cases
Delays in colorectal cancer screening due to the cessation of colonoscopies during the COVID-19 pandemic could increase advanced cases and even mortality if the delay stretches beyond 1 year, according to study results.
Luigi Ricciardiello, MD, from the department of medical and surgical sciences at the University of Bologna in Italy, and colleagues wrote that screening programs have been limited since the start of the pandemic, and they wanted to determine what impact that might have on outcomes. READ MORE
Q&A: Patients who refuse FIT, colonoscopy prefer blood test for CRC screening
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concluded that Epi proColon is the test of choice for individuals not willing to participate in fecal immunochemical tests or colonoscopy screening.
Healio Gastroenterology spoke with Greg Hamilton, CEO of Epigenomics AG, to discuss the study results and next steps. READ MORE
Mailed tests, follow-up calls increase colorectal cancer screening among African Americans
Mailed stool blood tests and follow-up phone calls are examples of effective strategies that increased colorectal cancer screening among African Americans, according to findings of a systematic review.
Although colorectal cancer screening and treatment have improved, mortality rates associated with the disease are 47% higher in African-American men and 34% higher in African-American women compared with non-Hispanic whites, according to Siddhartha Roy, MPH, DrPH, assistant professor in the department of family and community medicine at Penn State University. READ MORE
Q&A: COVID-19 pandemic linked to drop in colorectal cancer screenings
Colorectal cancer screening rates in recent years have significantly decreased in at-risk groups such patients aged 50 to 52 years and patients under 50 years with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to data collected by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and reported in The Health of America report, Rise in Chronic Conditions is Putting More Americans at risk for Colorectal Cancer.
COVID-19 has further caused the colorectal cancer screenings to decline. READ MORE