Gene Panel May Predict Who Needs Rectal Cancer Surgery

Surgeons at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have identified 87 genes that someday may tell doctors whether or not rectal cancer patients need surgery after chemotherapy and radiation.  The panel of genes predicted patients whose cancer appeared to be completely destroyed by the combination of chemotherapy and radiation before surgery, what is called pathological complete response.

Before it can become routine practice, the gene panel will need to be checked in another group of patients and clinical trials will need to be conducted to see if patients who have pathological complete responses and no surgery do as well as those who do have surgery. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on October 20th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: chemoradiation, pathological complete response, rectal cancer

Laparoscopic Surgery a Safe Choice for Rectal Cancer

In the hands of experts, laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer was as successful as an open abdominal operation.  Cancer free survival after five years wasn’t any different, and cancer was no more likely to return in and around the rectum.

Even if surgeons had to change their approach during the operation and convert from laparoscopic to open surgery, outcomes were not affected. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on August 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: laparoscopic, rectal cancer, survival

What is the Best Treatment in the Neoadjuvant Setting for Rectal Cancer?

At ASCO a number of studies showed the efficacy data of combining 5-FU or Xeloda with oxaliplatin in combination with radiation therapy in patients with rectal cancer. Continue reading…

Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on June 30th, 2009
Posted in: From the Desk of Dr. Lenz | 5 Comments »
Tags: chemoradiation, rectal cancer, Treating Colorectal Cancer

ASCO Research Highlights: Rectal and Anal Cancer

Researchers tried to push the envelope in treating rectal and anal cancer by adding new or different chemotherapy to standard chemoradiotherapy.  However, two trials in rectal cancer and one in anal cancer were not able to improve complete response rates for chemoradiation.  Adding extra chemotherapy after radiation was finished didn’t improve relapse-free survival for anal cancer either. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 13th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: anal cancer, chemoradiation, rectal cancer

Rectal Tumor Regression After Presurgical Chemoradiation Predicts Survival

The more tumors shrink during chemotherapy and radiation before rectal cancer surgery, the better the chance that patients will survive and be cancer-free five years later.

Doctors in Ireland developed a simple, three point, tumor regression grade or TRG, to measure the amount of change during chemoradiotherapy before surgery to remove rectal cancer.  After five years, all patients with the best tumor regression grade — complete or near complete response to chemoradiation — were alive and disease-free. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on March 4th, 2009
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: chemoradiation, rectal cancer