Rectal Cancer Information Center

Rectal Cancer News

Sutent® Fails to Show Benefit in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (07/01/2009)
The combination of the targeted therapy Sutent® (sunitinib) and FOLFIRI chemotherapy did not result in better progression-free survival than FOLFIRI alone among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, prompting a Phase III clinical trial of the combination treatment to be stopped early. This information was made available in a press release from Pfizer.

CT Colonography May Be Appropriate Screening Test for Some High-risk Individuals (06/22/2009)
Among people at increased risk of colorectal cancer, computed tomographic (CT) colonography correctly classified 85% of the people with advanced adenomas or cancer and 88% of the people without advanced adenomas or cancer. These results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Age and Illness Increase Colonoscopy Risks (06/18/2009)
Although the risk of complications from colonoscopy is low, risk increases among the very elderly and among those with certain chronic health conditions. These results were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Preemptive Skin Treatment Reduces Skin Toxicity Associated with Vectibix® in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (06/09/2009)
Early skin treatment that is initiated prior to the start of EGFR treatment with Vectibix® (panitumumab) reduces the incidence and severity of skin toxicity and improves quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, according to the results of a study presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Orlando, Florida.

Surgery Unnecessary for Most Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (06/02/2009)
Patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer do not need to undergo surgical removal of their tumor unless the tumor is causing complications, according to the results of a study presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida.