Gastrointestinal Cancer News

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has published new resources, including guidelines for patients and a quick guide sheet for rectal cancer – in addition to resources for colon cancer from earlier this year – to help patients with rectal cancer make informed choices about their care, according to a press release.

Robotic-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy was a safe and effective oncologic surgery in carefully selected patients, according to new research.

The FDA granted orphan drug designation to five agents under investigation for the treatment of solid tumors.

An FDA advisory committee expressed its support for gemtuzumab ozogamicin as part of combination therapy for acute myeloid leukemia; ABP 215, a biosimilar candidate to bevacizumab; and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell product tisagenlecleucel-T suspension for relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Contrary to current guidelines, new research published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that colorectal cancer screening with flexible sigmoidoscopy reduces risk for death, indicating that existing recommendations need to be reassessed.

Angela Alistar, MD, has joined Atlantic Health System Cancer Care as medical director of gastrointestinal medical oncology at Morristown Medical Center.

As colon cancer rates increase in the U.S., researchers are looking to gut microbiota to find early predictors, such as bacterial biofilms found on the colon mucosa surface, according to a presentation at the NIH’s conference, “The Human Microbiome: Emerging Themes at the Horizon of the 21st Century.” In a recent study, signs pointed to increased and localized biofilm development in patients with colon cancer.

Controlled feeding studies may help researchers better understand the effects of diet on the gut microbial structure in association with risk for disease, according to a presentation at The Human Microbiome: Emerging Themes at the Horizon of the 21st Century.

New research has identified significant racial and sex-based disparities in survival among patients with locoregional squamous cell carcinoma of the anus, especially in black men, who showed the lowest survival rates.

SillaJen and NCI entered a cooperative research and development agreement to evaluate Pexa-Vec for the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer.