Eating nuts may improve colon cancer survival

Diets with higher nut consumption appeared to be associated with reduced risk for disease recurrence and mortality among patients with stage III colon cancer, according to results from the prospective, observational CALGB 89803 study.

Observational studies have suggested diet and lifestyle factors — such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, Western-pattern diet, increased dietary glycemic load and high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages — are associated with risk for colon cancer recurrence and death. Although nut intake is associated with lower risk for type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, whether nut consumption had an effect of colon cancer recurrence and survival had not been known.

“These studies support the hypothesis that behaviors that make you less insulin resistant, including eating nuts, seem to improve outcomes in colon cancer,” Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, director of the Yale Cancer Center, said in a press release. “However, we don’t know yet what exactly about nuts is beneficial.”

Fuchs and colleagues evaluated data from 826 patients with stage III colon cancer who reported dietary intake on a food frequency questionnaire while enrolled in a randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy. During a median 6.5 years of follow-up, 199 patients experienced recurrence or developed new primary tumors and 177 patients died, 39 of whom died without documented cancer recurrence.

Subgroup analyses showed the improvement was confined to consumption of tree nuts improved colon cancer survival— which include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews and pecans. Researchers found no association between the consumption of peanut butter and improved outcomes.

https://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/gastrointestinal-cancer/news/in-the-journals/%7Bf5997374-abf1-412d-8d93-ebf16097191a%7D/eating-nuts-may-improve-colon-cancer-survival

Bacteria May Play a Role in Chemotherapy Resistance

In a study published Septemebr 2017 in Science, an international team of researchers funded in part by NCI found that several species of bacteria can break down the chemotherapy drug genncitabine (Gemzar), rendering it useless. In a mouse model where such bacteria had colonized colon cancer xenografts, the antibiotic ciprofloxacin restored tumors’ sensitivity to gemcitabine.

Because gemcitabine is commonly used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, the researchers looked at the prevalence of bacteria in pancreatic tumor samples from patients. They found that, out of 113 samples tested, 76% tested positive for any type of bacteria. And out of a set 15 bacteria-positive samples that underwent further analysis, 93% contained bacteria that, in laboratory experiments, were found to confer complete resistance to gemcitabine.

"The presence of bacteria in human tumors may paradoxically result in drug concentrations that are lower in the tumor than in other organs," wrote the authors. Because chemotherapy sensitivity could be restored with antibiotic treatment in their experiments, they concluded that such combination therapy is worth exploring in further research.

https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2017/bacteria-colorectal-cancer

A good news for women with hormonal receptor positive diseminated breastc cancer. The approval of abemaciclib will bring another treatment alternative for these patients. 



Current early detection screening technologies for colorectal cancer you should know.

A brief description of the principles of widely used early detection screening methods

Early detection tests for colorectal cancer. One or more of these tests are indicated for CRC screening, particularly, in people older than 50 with a CRC case in the family history

A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) detects hidden blood in the stool, which is one of the first CRC

alarm bells. This test should be performed every 1–2 years in people between 50 and 80 years

old; it decreases the number of CRC deaths by 30 %

A sigmoidoscopy is an inspection of the rectum and of the sigmoid colon (final portion of the

bowel) using an instrument called a “sigmoidoscope” which is a small tube with a small light

attached. Sigmoidoscopy can reveal precancerous or cancerous growths

A colonoscopy is an inspection of the rectum and entire colon using an instrument called

“colonoscope.” Colonoscopy can reveal precancerous or cancerous conditions in the whole

colon, unlike sigmoidoscopy. Moreover, during colonoscopy, it is possible to remove suspicious

growths, and thus, it is a screening and a therapeutic method

In double-contrast barium enema, the colon and rectum undergo a series of x-rays. The first

step in this test is the introduction of a barium solution into the colon, and then air is also added to

delineate the colon and rectum on the x-ray. This procedure may not detect small polyps

Virus implicated in the development of various cancers. How we can cure them?

There are at least 7 viruses implicated in the pathogenesis of 10% to 15% of all human cancers worldwide. Despite a high prevalence of infection with these viruses, only a minority of infected individuals develop a subsequent malignant tumor, underscoring the important role that host and environmental factors have in cancer development. Nowadays, is in the use of medical practice the use vaccine against human papilloma virus mainly for the prevention of cervical cancer and oral & neck cancers. The immune evasion mechanisms of these viral infections have an important role in carcinogenesis. Increased understanding of these mechanisms has paved the way for using immunotherapy to treat virus-associated cancers. Therefore, currently is being tested in clinical trials the use of adoptive cell therapy, tumor vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and combination immunotherapies in the treatment of select virus-associated cancers. Immunotherapy is proving to be a useful strategy in the treatment of virus-associated cancers. A greater understanding of the processes of immune evasion in chronic infections and malignant tumors will continue to help in the goal of optimizing immunotherapy, which will in turn translate into remission and long-term survival in this patient population.

Novel Compound (Omaveloxone) Restores Immune Response in Patients With Melanoma

Novel compound may restore immune response in patients with melanoma, according to a study presented at the ESMO Immuno Oncology Congress 2017.

“Checkpoint inhibitors are a standard of care immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma. However, many patients do not respond because myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a type of inhibitory cell, are present in the tumor microenvironment.

“In animal studies, omaveloxolone inhibited MDSCs and restored immune activity,”MDSCs produce reactive nitrogen radicals that alter the receptors on the surface of the tumor to hide it from cytotoxic lymphocytes that kill tumor cells. Omaveloxolone inhibits MDSC activity, suppresses reactive nitrogen radicals, and restores anti-tumor immune responses. Administering omaveloxolone with checkpoint inhibitors may improve the antitumor response of these immunotherapies.”

This open-label, multicenter, phase IB trial investigated the safety and efficacy of omaveloxolone in combination with the checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab or nivolumab. The study included 30 patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, of whom seven were naïve to checkpoint inhibitors and 23 had prior checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

The overall response rate was 57 percent in checkpoint inhibitor-naïve patients and 17 percent in those with prior exposure. Median time to response was 19 weeks. There were no serious adverse events related to omaveloxolone and it was well-tolerated in combination with ipilimumab or nivolumab.

These findings suggest that omaveloxolone may overcome resistance to checkpoint inhibitors,” Patel noted. “Omaveloxolone in combination with checkpoint blockade had activity in both naïve and checkpoint inhibitor refractory melanoma patients.

“This is one of the first studies to demonstrate a meaningful response rate in the checkpoint inhibitor refractory melanoma population. Further dose escalation and dose expansion studies are underway as well as translational tissue-based experiments to clarify the impact of this treatment combination.”

https://journals.lww.com/oncology-times/Fulltext/2018/01200/Novel_Compound_Restores_Immune_Response_in.7.aspx

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