Colorectal Cancer Research Results and Study Updates
See Advances in Colorectal Cancer Research for an overview of recent findings and progress, plus ongoing projects supported by NCI.
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Texting May Help Reduce Disparities in Colorectal Cancer ScreeningPosted:
Combining text messaging with mailing people free at-home FIT kits helped increase screening for colorectal cancer among a predominantly Black population, a new study has found. It’s part of a larger effort to reduce disparities in cancer screening.
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Why Is Colorectal Cancer Rising Rapidly among Young Adults?Posted:
Diagnoses of colorectal cancer continue to increase in younger adults. In September 2020, more than 400 leading scientists and patient advocates participated in an NCI/NIEHS-sponsored symposium to identify research priorities that address important questions about this concerning trend.
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Encorafenib, Cetuximab Combination Approved for Metastatic Colorectal CancerPosted:
The Food and Drug Administration has approved encorafenib (Braftovi) in combination with cetuximab (Erbitux) to treat adults with metastatic colorectal cancer whose tumors have a specific mutation in the BRAF gene, called V600E.
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Targeted Drug Trio Improves Survival in Colorectal Cancer with BRAF MutationsPosted:
For people with colorectal cancer with a specific mutation in the BRAF gene, a treatment regimen of three targeted drugs can improve how long they live without increasing their risk of serious side effects, results from a new clinical trial show.
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Metastatic Colorectal Cancer May Spread Early in the Disease, Study FindsPosted:
Many colorectal cancers likely have spread long before the original tumor is detected, researchers have found. The findings suggest the need for very early detection and could help identify patients who need more aggressive systemic treatments.
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Studying Genes and Proteins Together Sheds New Light on Colon CancerPosted:
Using novel proteogenomic techniques, scientists from NCI’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium have uncovered new features of colon cancer that may guide new treatment strategies.
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Could a Vaccine Prevent Colorectal Cancer in People with Lynch Syndrome?Posted:
Findings from an NCI-funded study suggest a new vaccine approach may have the potential to prevent colorectal cancer in people with Lynch syndrome, an inherited condition that increases an individual's risk for developing certain types of cancer.
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Combination of Immunotherapy Drugs Approved for Metastatic Colorectal CancerPosted:
The FDA has approved the combination of the immune checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose tumor cells have defects that affect their ability to repair DNA.
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Do Frequent Follow-Up Tests Benefit Colorectal Cancer Survivors?Posted:
Two studies examined the impact of more frequent follow-up testing for cancer recurrence in colorectal cancer survivors. Learn whether the studies showed that frequent testing improved survival.
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Interactive App Improves Colorectal Cancer Screening RatesPosted:
Colorectal cancer screening reduces deaths from the disease, yet about one-third of Americans aren’t up to date with screening. Learn what happened when people waiting for routine checkups used an app that allowed them to order their own screening test.
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Drug Combination Reduces Number of Colorectal Polyps in Patients with Hereditary Cancer SyndromePosted:
People with FAP, an inherited condition that greatly increases their risk of gastrointestinal cancer, who took the drugs erlotinib (Tarceva) and sulindac (Aflodac) saw a substantial decrease in the number of precancerous lesions in the colon and rectum.
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Fusobacterium May Help Colorectal Cancer Grow and SpreadPosted:
Fusobacterium, found in the stomach and intestines, may help fuel the growth of colorectal cancer and metastases. In a mouse model of colorectal cancer, using antibiotics to kill these bacteria slowed tumor growth.
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Low-Tech Outreach Methods Improve Colorectal Cancer ScreeningPosted:
Proactive, low-tech outreach approaches can help increase the number of people who get screened for colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy or home stool test and complete the appropriate follow-up.
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FDA Approves Nivolumab for Some Metastatic Colorectal CancersPosted:
FDA has granted accelerated approval to the immunotherapy drug nivolumab (Opdivo®) for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose tumors have alterations that affect DNA repair.
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Less Chemotherapy May Be Best Choice for Some Patients with Colon Cancer, Study ShowsPosted:
A shorter course of chemotherapy following surgery may be preferred to longer treatment for some patients with colon cancer, results of an international collaborative study suggest.
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Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rising in Young Adults: An Interview with Drs. Philip Rosenberg and William AndersonPosted:
Drs. Philip Rosenberg and William Anderson of NCI discuss a recent study on which they were coauthors that reported an increase in colorectal cancer incidence among adults under age 50 in the United States.
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Cellular Immunotherapy Targets a Common Human Cancer MutationPosted:
In a study of an immune therapy for colorectal cancer that involved a single patient, researchers identified a method for targeting the cancer-causing protein produced by a mutant form of the KRAS gene.
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Colorectal Cancer Survival Linked to Primary Tumor LocationPosted:
A blog post on a study showing that in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, the location in the colon where the tumor originated appears to strongly influence how long patients live.
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Survival Disparities Identified in Young African Americans with Colorectal CancerPosted:
African Americans younger than age 50 had significantly worse 5-year survival rates at every stage of disease compared with young white and Hispanic patients, a new study shows.
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Drug Combination Shrinks Duodenal Polyps in People with Familial Adenomatous PolyposisPosted:
In a small clinical trial of people with an inherited condition that greatly increases gastrointestinal cancer risk, a two-drug combination shrank precancerous lesions in the duodenum.
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Mouse Study Points to Mechanism Linking Obesity and Colorectal Cancer RiskPosted:
A missing hormone in obese mice may help explain a longstanding association between obesity and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in humans.
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FDA Approves Combination Drug for Patients with Advanced Colorectal CancerPosted:
The FDA has approved a single drug that combines trifluridine and tipiracil to treat patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose disease progressed after standard treatment.
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TAS-102 Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal CancerPosted:
In an international randomized phase III trial, the investigational drug TAS-102 extended the lives of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose disease had progressed following standard therapies.
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Bacterial Biofilms Provide Clues into Colorectal Cancer RiskPosted:
A new study suggests that dense bacterial communities called biofilms may promote the development of some colorectal cancers.
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Analyzing the Gut Microbiome to Help Detect Colorectal CancerPosted:
New research suggests that identifying specific changes in the gut microbiome could potentially help screen patients for colorectal cancer.