Gastrointestinal Cancer News

CHICAGO — Patients with hepatitis B virus infection were more likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma at a younger age and have a more aggressive form of the disease vs. patients with hepatitis C virus infection, according to study results presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

While overall survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has steadily increased over the past 20 years, novel chemotherapies only partially account for survival gains, as improvements in supportive care and secular trends also play a role, according to results from a recent systematic review.

The American Cancer Society estimates more than 589,000 Americans will die of cancer this year, making end-of-life conversations an inescapable reality for oncologists and other providers on their care teams.

Patients who underwent successful downstaging for hepatocellular carcinoma had a lower chance of recurrence and higher chance of survival post-liver transplant vs. patients without downstaging, according to study data.

Nut consumption was associated with lowered risk for developing colorectal, pancreatic and endometrial cancer, but similar associations were not observed for other cancers or type 2 diabetes, according to results from a new systematic review and meta-analysis.

A 40-year analysis of a colonoscopic surveillance program for neoplasia in ulcerative colitis suggested surveillance colonoscopy may play an important role in reducing colorectal cancer risk and need for colectomy.

Phase 3 results from the REACH study showed that Cyramza therapy did not significantly improve survival more than placebo in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma after treatment with sorafenib, according to new data published in The Lancet Oncology.

Researchers suggest that interferon L3 rs12979860 may be a risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients treated for hepatitis C virus infection, according to published data from a retrospective study.

The receipt of fecal immunochemical testing for colorectal cancer could lead to a significant reduction in disease-related mortality, according to the results of a prospective analysis.

Higher adenoma detection rates in screening colonoscopy were found to be associated with as high as 50% to 60% lower lifetime risk for colorectal cancer incidence and death without incurring higher overall costs, according to new research data.