In the News
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- Aspirin, NSAIDs Won't Prevent Colorectal Cancer:Study
- New Tools to Predict Genetic Risk for Colorectal Cancer
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Aspirin, NSAIDs Won't Prevent Colorectal Cancer: Study
U.S. task force recommendation says potential harm outweighs benefits
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) --
U.S. task force recommendation says potential harm outweighs benefits
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) --
Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do not prevent colorectal cancer, and people should not take these drugs to try to prevent the disease, a new U.S. report says.
Members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed the most current research and concluded that the potential harm -- such as increased risk of stroke, intestinal bleeding and kidney failure -- of taking more than 300 milligrams a day of aspirin or NSAIDs outweighs the potential benefits in terms of preventing colorectal cancer.
The recommendation is published in the March 6 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
"Individuals taking high doses of aspirin or NSAIDs to prevent colorectal cancer should be aware of the potential harms and discuss them with their clinician," Dr. Ned Calonge, task force chairman and chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Information, said in a prepared statement.
The task force said it did find good evidence that taking low doses of aspirin (usually less than 100 mg per day) may reduce the risk of heart disease. People taking aspirin to prevent other conditions, such as heart disease, should continue to discuss the benefits with their doctors, Calonge said.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in American men and women and is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths, claiming an estimated 56,000 lives a year. Between 5 percent and 6 percent of people, the majority of whom are over age 50, develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime, according to background information in the study.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent panel of prevention and primary-care experts, and its recommendations are considered the gold standard for clinical preventive services. The task force receives technical and administrative support from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The task force based its recommendations on a report from a team led by Dr. David Moher, director of AHRQ's Evidence-based Practice Center at the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colorectal cancer prevention.
SOURCE: U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, news release, March 5, 2007
SOURCE: U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, news release, March 5, 2007
New Tools to Predict Genetic Risk for Colorectal Cancer
The target is Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary form of the disease
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have devised more precise ways to identify individuals who might have gene mutations associated with Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary form of colorectal cancer.
The target is Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary form of the disease
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have devised more precise ways to identify individuals who might have gene mutations associated with Lynch syndrome, the most common hereditary form of colorectal cancer.
These tools could guide patients and physicians when considering actual testing, treatment and even prevention options.
"We're asking the question, 'Who should get genetic testing?' These tests are trying to better predict, so we can focus testing and resources," said Dr. Jerald D. Wishner, director of colon and rectal surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Mount Kisco, N.Y. "The significance of a positive genetic test is very real in the clinical world in terms of treatment options."
Added Dr. Jeffrey Weitzel, director of clinical cancer genetics at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif., "Can we develop tools that are more accurate to help us predict who may or may not be a carrier? That would be an adjunct to decisions about testing."
Reports on the new tests were published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lynch syndrome is the most common form of hereditary colorectal cancer in the West, accounting for 2 percent to 5 percent of all cases of the disease. The condition is mainly associated with mutations in the MLH1 and MSH2 genes, and people with these mutations also often have a higher risk of other cancers, including ovarian, stomach, small bowel and brain tumors.
Although genetic screening for the mutations is available, it is not foolproof and is expensive.
"It's about a $3,000 test," Wishner said. "Insurance companies don't always pay for it."
Other criteria for determining who might be prone to Lynch syndrome also have significant limitations.
The first model, PREMM1,2 (Prediction of Mutations in MLH1 and MSH2), incorporates personal and family history variables.
"In a more quantitative way, this tells people what their risk is of having the syndrome," said Dr. Sapna Syngal, senior author of the study and director of the familial GI (gastrointestinal) cancer program at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center in Boston.
People can use the model themselves online. "We're hoping that it's an easier way to figure out people's risk," Syngal said. "The criteria that existed before was very complicated, and it was hard to know if you were high-risk or not."
The second study, MMRpro, was developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. MMRpro estimates probability based on family history of colorectal and endometrial cancer.
"This is a model that predicts the Lynch syndrome better than what we already had," said Sining Chen, lead author of the study and assistant professor of environmental health sciences and biostatistics at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "This is a tool that helps identify people who are at high risk. It's ready to go. You can download software off of the Web page."
While representing progress, both methods need improvement, experts said.
For one thing, both are cumbersome. "The MMRpro requires collecting so much data," Wishner said. "There's more potential for inaccuracies. Clearly, more research needs to be done."
"Almost certainly, there will be a number of people who will go out and use these in clinical practice," Weitzel added. "None of these models is going to make me not do the test. I don't want to miss the true positives. At the end of the day, the most important thing is going to be clinical judgment."
More information
For more on Lynch syndrome, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
SOURCES: Sapna Syngal, M.D., director of familial GI cancer program, Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston; Jerald D. Wishner, M.D., director of colon and rectal surgery, Northern Westchester Hospital Center, Mount Kisco, N.Y.; Jeffrey Weitzel, M.D., director of clinical cancer genetics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, Calif.; Sining Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental health sciences and biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore; Sept. 27, 2006, Journal of the American Medical Association
SOURCES: Sapna Syngal, M.D., director of familial GI cancer program, Dana Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston; Jerald D. Wishner, M.D., director of colon and rectal surgery, Northern Westchester Hospital Center, Mount Kisco, N.Y.; Jeffrey Weitzel, M.D., director of clinical cancer genetics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, Calif.; Sining Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental health sciences and biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore; Sept. 27, 2006, Journal of the American Medical Association
Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare cancer that gets its name from the appearance of the skin on the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer is an aggressive type of locally advanced cancer that occurs in a very small percentage of women with breast cancer.
Typically women with inflammatory breast cancer are diagnosed at a younger age than those diagnosed with other forms of breast cancer. They're more likely to experience cancer spread (metastasis), and they have a greater chance of succumbing to the disease than women with noninflammatory breast cancer. In very rare circumstances, inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed in men.
Historically, survival statistics have been grim for women diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, but there's hope. New approaches in treatment offer greater odds for survival than ever before.
Learn more about signs and symptoms
Other Resources
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Susan B. Komen
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- breastcancer.org
If you have any questions, please consult your physician.
