Colon Cancer – Cancer In Plain English – Cancer Information

Can a cancer drug help treat Diabetes?

RemwesMedical — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 17:49:54 +0000

It turns out that there are signs that a current treatment for Colon Cancer may actually help people who have diabetes.

Cancer therapy – and many therapies really – can produce surprising combinations this way sometimes. We may discover, for example, that one medication which is good for one thing is actually good for something else. For example, the medication Thalidomide was discovered to cause horrible birth defects when given in England years ago for “morning sickness” but we now have discovered that this same medication is now helpful for Multiple Myeloma.

The same with a medication called Aflibercept (also known as Eylea or Zaltrap). This medication is a VEGF inhibitor which is useful in the treatment of Colon Cancer. VEGF stands for Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor. VEFG is a protein which colon cancer produces in order to make itself more blood vessels in order to feed itself better as it grows. By doing this, the tumor, as it grows, does not outgrow its blood supply. Well, Aflibercept blocks VEGF and thus makes the tumor outgrow its blood supply and starve/suffocate to death because of lack of blood supply and oxygen.

Researchers at Stanford have recently discovered that VEGF inhibitors block (as they are supposed to do) the development of new blood vessels. This then leads to decreased oxygen delivery to the cells. Decreased oxygen delivery is known as hypoxia. Hypoxia, then makes the cells to produce a substance known as HIF-2Alpha which in turn produces another protein called IRS2 which thus makes it easier for cells to absorb and work with the glucose that surrounds them. What this means is that, if this research continues to bear fruit, we may discover that it may be possible to give Aflibercept to patients with diabetes as a way to help the cells of diabetic patients to more easily absorb the glucose that surrounds them and thus, have less of the glucose swimming around their bodies (which is the problem with diabetics).

As more of this information comes forward, I will keep you informed. Mark Sperry for Cancer In Plain English

Ghrelin stimulates appetite in cancer patients

RemwesMedical — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:11:14 +0000

A new treatment has been discovered which increases the appetite and the nutritional intake of patients with cancer.
A major problem, when it comes to cancer, is the loss of appetite. People with cancer just are not hungry. This loss of hunger in cancer patients (and in anyone who is not hungry) is called “Anorexia”. Unfortunately, this lack of appetite could not come at a worse time. Just when a person needs to eat and take in nutrition in order to build up strength with which to fight the cancer, they lose all desire to eat.
Until the development of this new medication known as Ghrelin, the major means for stimulating appetite in cancer patients was with a medication known as Megesterol (or Megace). This is a hormone which stimulates appetite in many cancer patients and, until now, was the best we could do in order to try to stimulate appetites in patients with cancer.
Well, enter Ghrelin. This is a relatively new hormone which was discovered by Dr. Kojima and colleagues in 1999. Its function is to circulate in the body and to stimulate the development of hunger.
In a study published in February of 2010 in the medical journal Cancer, researchers in Sweden administered Ghrelin as a daily subcutaneous injection for 8 weeks to patients with cancer who had poor appetites. More or less half the patients were given Ghrelin at a low dose and the other half were given Ghrelin at a higher dose.
The results of this study showed that the patients with cancer and a poor appetite who received the higher doses of Ghrelin tended to have significantly improved appetites, improved retention of their body weights and improved levels of energy. What’s more, the patients who received Ghrelin did not have any noteworthy side effects from this medication.
As such, it seems that we have now discovered a new medication for the stimulation of appetite in patients with cancer. For cancer doctors, the finding of this new means to stimulate the appetite of patients with cancer could not come a moment too soon. Lack of appetite has been a difficult problem for patients with cancer for a very long time. All of these concepts and many more are covered and discussed in the Colon Cancer audio CD available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com

Cigarette smoking and Colon Cancer

RemwesMedical — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:47:30 +0000

Inheriting a gene that increases one’s risk for the development of cancer is like inheriting a loaded gun. That gun never needs to go off unless someone or something pulls the trigger.
When we think of cigarette smoking and the health risks that come with that activity, we think of lung cancer, emphysema and other breathing ailments; however, we typically do not think of Colon Cancer.
Well, as per an article published in February of 2010 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research that thinking may soon change.
Researchers have known for years that cigarette smoking is not only related lung cancer. It is as well associated with other cancers such as Kidney Cancer and Throat Cancer.
The findings in this recent study indicate, however, that it may as well increase the chances of developing Colon Cancer in people who inherit a gene that makes them more susceptible to the development of colon cancer.
Drs. Pandel and Lynch of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas studied a total of 752 people who were known to have inherited a gene for a form of colon cancer known as the Lynch Syndrome type of colon cancer. This form of colon cancer is also called the HNPCC syndrome. What they found is that patients who inherited the gene for this form of cancer and who smoked had a much higher chance of developing colon cancer than in patients who inherited that gene and who did not smoke – or who had quit smoking for at least 2 years or more.
The key here is that cigarette smoking seems to increase the risk of colon cancer in these people who have already inherited a gene that places them at an increased risk of cancer. As we mentioned earlier, this is comparable to having inherited a loaded gun, but it did not go off until cigarette smoking comes along and pulls the trigger.
What we can “take away” from the findings of these researchers is that cigarette smoking, although known to be harmful to the lungs can hurt us in ways that we never imagined. If, by chance, a person has inherited the gene for this form of colon cancer, does not know it AND starts to smoke cigarettes, his or her risk of colon cancer is thus increased. As such, it is important to not start smoking and if we already smoke, to do all we can to stop smoking. As we can see from this recent journal article, like a sinister and stealthy assailant, cigarette smoking can cause us harm in many and sometimes unexpected ways. All of these concepts and many more are discussed in easy to understand language in the Colon Cancer Audio CD available on the Internet web site www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.

Ramucirumab – no food supply for you!

RemwesMedical — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:26:31 +0000

There is a promising new medicine for the treatment of various forms of cancer. This new medicine is known as RAMUCIRUMAB.
Cancer is a formidable foe. It not only starts out quietly and often grows quietly, it also makes sure that it creates its own blood supply to feed its growing appetite as it grows.
Lately, researchers have focused on this ability of cancer to create its own blood supply – its supply lines as it were – as an Achilles’ heel with which to attack and kill growing cancers. If we stop a cancer’s ability to feed itself, we thereby stop its ability to grow and ultimately to survive.
The way that cancers make new blood supplies is by making a protein in the blood called a VEGF. Think of VEGF as a baseball that comes to the baseball glove. The baseball glove is the VEGF RECEPTOR.
Well, when the baseball (the VEGF) arrives at the baseball glove (the VEGF RECEPTOR) this triggers the production of new blood vessels which in turn bring more blood and nutrition to the growing cancer.
Well, a relatively new medication which has been recently approved for the treatment of both Colon Cancer and Lung Cancer is called Bevacizumab (or Avastin). Avastin binds to the baseball (the VEGF) BEFORE it has a chance to be caught by the baseball glove (the VEGF RECEPTOR). Thus, if VEGF can never get to the VEGF RECEPTOR, then the reaction that happens when those two get together can never happen and, thus, no new blood vessels are made.
Well, what if we were to now make a new medicine to target not the baseball but the baseball GLOVE?
Well that is what the experimental medicine, Ramucirumab is. This is the first medicine that targets the baseball GLOVE (the VEGF RECEPTOR). What’s more, it SPECIFICALLY targets a very SPECIFIC TYPE of baseball glove. In other words, it specifically targets a type of VEGF Receptor known as the TYPE 2 VEGF Receptor. Thus, if the VEGF Receptor is taken out of commission, then, again, as with the medicine Bevacizumab (Avastin), the cancer cannot make new blood vessels to feed itself.
In a recent article in the February 10th, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researches prove that this new medicine can be safely given to patients and it is reasonably well tolerated. It also promises to be a new addition to our armaments and weapons for treating cancer. Even though this medicine, Ramucirumab, is still investigational, it promises to be a wonderful new addition to our treatments for possibly Colon Cancer, Lung Cancer and possibly Kidney Cancer.
All of these concepts and more are covered in easy to understand language in the the Lung Cancer and Colon Cancer audio CDs available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

RemwesMedical — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:24:56 +0000

Colon cancer sometimes develops and provides no clues or signs that it is present until it has progressed far outside of the colon. Thankfully, however, colon cancer sometimes does give us “early warning clues” or signs indicating that a colon cancer is present. There are approximately 6 key symptoms and/or developments which may suggest to us that a person may have colon cancer. These symptoms or findings are as follows:
1. FATIGUE: Patients with colon cancer can sometimes lose a small amount of blood a little at a time over a long period of time and not realize it. The only symptom that that person may feel is a marked sense of fatigue and tiredness. The reason for the fatigue is because the ongoing chronic blood loss will result in a severe anemia which in turn results in a marked sense of fatigue and sometimes shortness of breath.
2. BLACK, TARRY STOOLS: Very dark stools – so dark that they remind us of tar or coffee grounds – may indicate that a person may have colon cancer. The reason for the dark colored stools is because there is blood hidden in the stool (see above).
3. THIN, SKINNY STOOLS:A third possible clue to suggest that someone may have colon/rectal cancer is the development of thin, skinny stools. These thin stools are sometimes described as “ribbon-like” stools. This clue is actually more related to a possible rectal cancer than a cancer higher up in the colon proper.
4. ABDOMINAL PAIN. Another important clue that may indicate that a colon cancer is present is the development of abdominal pain or lower rectal pain. This may be even more significant if that person reports that he or she strains very strongly in order to move his or her bowels.
5. MASS IN THE ABDOMEN: A fifth clue to suggest that someone may have colon cancer is if we find that a person has discovered a mass in his or her abdomen. They may come to us and mention that they have discovered this “lump” in their abdomen. If this happens, we need to consider this a possible sign of a colon cancer.
6. WEIGHT LOSS. A sixth clue is weight loss for no apparent reason. Someone may say to us that he or she has been “eating regularly but cannot seem to hold on to the weight”. This is an important clue to various possible forms of cancer, but it may be a particularly strong clue to the possible presence of a colon cancer.
All of the above findings and clues which may suggest the finding of a colon cancer are covered in clear and easy to understand language in the Colon Cancer audio CD available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com

Colon Cancer Stages

RemwesMedical — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:14:18 +0000

When someone is discovered to have colon cancer, an important question that needs to be answered is “how much has the cancer spread by the time it was discovered”? The system that physicians have agreed upon to answer this question is by separating the amount of spread of the colon cancer into what are known as “stages”. Stages are no more than measurements of how far the cancer has spread by the time we discover it. The stages of colon cancer, from best to worst, are stage I, II, III and IV. Let’s now review the stages of colon cancer.
STAGE I. Stage I of colon cancer is a colon cancer that is discovered to only be in the lining of the colon. It has not grown very much and is still limited only to the inner lining of the intestine. A colon cancer that is found at Stage I is able to be removed with surgery. Most people who are found with Stage I colon cancer and who have surgery will be cured of their colon cancer.
STAGE II. Stage II colon cancer is a colon cancer that has grown into the wall of the colon by the time we discover it, but has not grown through the wall. Even though the colon has grown a little more than a stage I colon cancer, the cancer is still only inside the wall of the intestine. Just as in Stage I colon cancer, when a colon cancer is found at stage II, most people with stage II colon cancer who have surgery will be cured of their colon cancer. A difference between Stage II colon cancer and stage I colon cancer is that in order to cure the person, some of the patients with Stage II colon cancer will require 6 months of chemotherapy after surgery in order to be cured. By comparison, patients with Stage I colon cancer who have surgery do not need 6 months of chemotherapy following surgery.
STAGE III. Stage III colon cancer is a colon cancer that has grown through the entire wall of the intestine by the time we discover it and has spread to small structures near the intestine called the lymph nodes. Even though it has grown more than stage I or Stage II colon cancer when we find it, it is still possible to cure a person with stage III colon cancer if we remove the tumor with surgery and then give the person 6 months of chemotherapy following surgery.
STAGE IV. Stage IV colon cancer is a colon cancer that has grown so much by the time we discover it, that it has spread to other organs such as the liver or the bones or elsewhere. Unfortunately, differently than with stage I, II or III, patients who are found with Stage IV colon cancer are not able to be cured of their colon cancer. All that is possible for patients with colon cancer who are discovered with Stage IV colon cancer is to give them chemotherapy in order to try to make their time of survival with the colon cancer as comfortable as possible and in order to try to extend their lives as much as possible.
All of these concepts and more about colon cancer are covered in easy to understand language in the Colon Cancer audio CD that is available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.

Colon Cancer Symptoms

RemwesMedical — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:50:13 +0000

Colon Cancer is a very important medical problem which affects thousands of people yearly. There are some clues or symptoms that a person can exhibit which may give us an early indication that that person may or may not have colon cancer. We will review some of those symptoms or findings as follows:
1. BLOOD IN THE STOOL: If someone starts to produce small amounts of blood when they have a stool (or, as is also called, a bowel movement), we need to think of the possibility of colon cancer. Actually, with small amounts of bright red blood in the stool, we need to think of Rectal Cancer more than that of Colon Cancer. Rectal Cancer is a colon cancer that is way down near the end of the intestines, near the anus. If a person has colon cancer proper, the stool is more likely to be black and tarry than red.
2.UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS: If someone has unexplained weight loss. They tell us that even though they eat regularly they just can’t seem to “keep the weight on”, we need to think of the possibility of cancer. This finding, unexplained weight loss, may be a clue not just for Colon Cancer, but as well for other cancers such as Lung Cancer, Pancreas Cancer and other cancers. Nevertheless, we need to keep colon cancer in mind if there is an unexplained weight loss.
3. THIN STOOLS THAT “LOOK LIKE A RIBBON”. If a person tells us that his or her stools have become very thin and “like a pencil” or “like a ribbon”, we need to think of colon cancer or more specifically, rectal cancer. This is because the cancer can be narrowing the rectum as the stool tries to exit and it makes the stool very thin and “pencil like”.
4. SEVERE FATIGUE. A person with colon cancer is very possibly very tired because of the slow but constant loss of blood in the colon. This slow but steady loss of blood over months and perhaps years, causes a severe loss of blood which is known as an “Anemia”. Anemia, in turn, makes the person feel very tired and even short of breath at times.
5. ABDOMINAL PAIN: Colon cancer can present with pain in the abdomen. This is not a usual sign for colon cancer, but it is possible. Typically, if a colon cancer presents with pain in the abdomen, this indicates that the cancer has grown very much before it was discovered.
All of the signs and symptoms and concepts mentioned above are covered in clear, easy to understand language in the Colon Cancer audio CD available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com