Latest Colorectal Cancer Research

In science news, a new study shows 40 percent of all colorectal cancers might be prevented if everyone had colonoscopy screening as recommended. The large, long-term study from the Harvard School of ublic Health, or HS H, supports e!isting guidelines that suggest individuals with an average ris" for colorectal cancer have a colonoscopy every ten years. The #enters for $isease #ontrol and revention, or #$#, calls regular screening beginning at

age %0 &the "ey to preventing colorectal cancer,' which is the second leading cause of cancerrelated deaths in men and women in the (nited States. #olorectal cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lower part of the large intestine "nown as the colon and in the rectum. The )ational #ancer Institute e!pects (.S. doctors to diagnose *4+,,+0 cases of colorectal cancer in +0*- and believes %0,,-0 will die from the disease that year. Colonoscopy and Other Screening Tools for Colorectal Cancer $octors use screening tools li"e colonoscopy, fecal occult blood tests, and sigmoidoscopy as part of regular screenings. .ecal occult blood tests test for the presence of blood hidden in stool. $uring a sigmoidoscopy, a doctor uses a camera mounted onto a long, fle!ible tube inserted into the patient/s rectum to view the lowest part, or the distal end, of his colon. 0 doctor uses the tube and mounted camera technology during a colonoscopy to see further into the higher part, or pro!imal end, of a patient/s colon. #ancer can occur in either the distal or pro!imal regions of the large intestine. The study, which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, underscores the importance of regular screenings. Support for the study came from the )ational Institutes of Health. #o-author of the study and associate professor in the $epartment of 1pidemiology at HS H Shu2i 3gino said the study &provides strong evidence that colonoscopy is an effective techni4ue for preventing cancers of both distal and pro!imal regions of the colorectum, while sigmoidoscopy alone is insufficient for preventing pro!imal cancer.5 The researchers analy6ed data gathered from ,,,70+ people participating in the two long-term studies, the )urses/ Health Study and the Health rofessionals .ollow-up Study. The Harvard scientists based their study on responses to 4uestionnaires issued to participants every two

years between *77, and +00,. 0mong the participants, researchers identified *,,*% cases of colorectal cancer and 484 deaths from the disease. The Harvard scientists found that both sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy lowered the ris" for developing or dying from colorectal cancer in the distal, or lower part of the colon but that only colonoscopy reduced the ris" for cancer in the pro!imal, or higher part of the large intestine. Sigmoidoscopy alone is unli"ely to reduce the ris" for developing or dying from cancer that starts in the upper portion of the colon. 0dditionally, the researchers found that widespread compliance with recommended

colonoscopy screenings every ten years could reduce the overall prevalence of colorectal cancer by 40 percent. These findings could help improve and strengthen the current guidelines for colorectal cancer screening. .or updated information on cancer research, science news articles, and current science events visit our website at www.9ab:oots.com