Gastrointestinal Cancer News

Older patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer liver metastases faced increased risk for postoperative mortality despite receiving less aggressive treatment, according to the results of a retrospective cohort study.

Researchers developed a composite panel of molecular markers and clinical features that may help to classify pancreatic cysts and differentiate between those that are harmless and those that are precancerous, requiring surgery.

Socioeconomic variables such as race, ethnicity, geographic location, and marital and insurance status appeared associated with disparities in the use of surgical resection among patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer, according to results of a SEER analysis.

SAN FRANCISCO — In the pre–direct-acting antiviral era, risk of hepatocellular carcinoma remained slightly elevated in those patients with hepatitis C virus who achieved SVR, according to a presentation at The Liver Meeting 2015. That risk was further elevated in those patients who were older, with cirrhosis, diabetes and previous genotype 3 disease.

SAN FRANCISCO — Vitamin K administered to patients at the time of treatment with Nexavar for hepatocellular carcinoma increased overall and progression-free survival, according to data presented at The Liver Meeting 2015.

SAN FRANCISCO — In patients geographically removed from tertiary care centers, the creation of a regional multidisciplinary tumor board decreased the time from first abnormality to treatment by 25 days, cutting time from abnormality to specialist consult in half, according to a poster presentation at The Liver Meeting 2015.

Productivity loss resulting from preventable colorectal cancer deaths that occurred between 2008 and 2012, mainly affecting communities with lower socioeconomic status, cost the U.S. $6.4 billion, according to study results presented at the American Association for Cancer Research’s conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved.

The American College of Radiology and a number of patient advocacy groups have called on congress to pass the CT Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act, which would provide Medicare coverage of this American Cancer Society-recommended screening exam for seniors, according to a press release.

HONOLULU — A novel prep-less X-ray imaging capsule for colon cancer screening safely and effectively detected polyps, according to preliminary data from an ongoing multicenter study presented at ACG 2015.

Patients with clinically staged node-positive esophageal adenocarcinoma derived a significant OS benefit from neoadjuvant chemoradiation, according to the results of a retrospective analysis.