Gastrointestinal Cancer News

High overall response rates appeared associated with regulatory approval of single-agent anticancer agents, according to the results of a systematic database search published in JAMA Oncology.

In 1971, President Nixon signed the National Cancer Act declaring a war against cancer, which transformed our ability to diagnose, treat and reduce morbidity and mortality from cancer.

More than two-thirds of cancer prevention and screening recommendation statements do not accurately quantify the benefits and harms associated with the screening platforms, according to results published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has released an updated guideline on screening for colorectal cancer, which recommends that instead of colonoscopy, fecal occult blood testing every 2 years or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years should be used for adults aged 50 to 74 years who are asymptomatic and not at high risk for colorectal cancer.

A multifaceted intervention strategy designed to recognize adverse events in patients with cancer reduced ED visits during offices hours 60%, according to study results presented at the Quality Care Symposium.

The use of PET scanning to screen for tumor recurrence in lung and esophageal cancer survivors did not appear associated with an improvement in 2-year survival rates, according to the results of a retrospective study.

In patients with nonmalignant findings, colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates were found to be significantly lower after colonoscopy when researchers conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies. The incidence and mortality rates were even lower after screening colonoscopy in the general population.

Researchers found that MEP1A, a candidate oncogene, is a novel predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma and impacted the development and rate of progression of the disease, according to published findings in Hepatology.

The U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer has released updated recommendations on the use of endoscopy in patients after colorectal cancer resection, which emphasize the importance of colonoscopic surveillance in these patients to prevent metachronous cancer or diagnose recurrent and metachronous cancers at a curable stage.

Aspirin is a “relatively common, relatively cheap drug that could really help improve our outcomes in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer,” according to Jimmy J. Hwang, MD, head of gastrointestinal medical oncology at the Levine Cancer Institute and a HemOnc Today editorial board member. He provides an overview of existing studies and ongoing research regarding the therapeutic and preventive benefits of aspirin in this setting.