Sending home testing kits to people and helping them navigate any required follow up testing significantly improves the uptake of colorectal cancer testing, shows research carried out at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The at-home fecal immunochemical test (FIT) tests a person’s stool to look for hidden…

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine comparing traditional and emerging screening tests for colorectal cancer (CRC) showed that first-generation cell-free blood DNA (cf-bDNA) tests could significantly reduce CRC incidence and mortality compared to no screening. However, their impact is considerably lower than that of colonoscopy or…

The paradoxical surge of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases among younger adults is one of the biggest questions for oncology today. Now there is new evidence that an unexpected driver behind the mysterious rise of colon cancer cases in young adults is high blood-sugar levels.  This study found that young adults…

One of the most alarming recent health trends is the rise in “early-onset cancers”—those diagnosed in adults between the ages of 18 and 49. Advancing age is the top risk factor for cancer in general. Many individuals in this age group are too young for recommended routine cancer screenings—for example,…

In a new study in mice, researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI), demonstrated how disruption of the circadian rhythm may accelerate the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) by affecting the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier function. The new study offers new avenues for prevention and treatment strategies. The…

More than 250 putative CRC driver genes, many not previously implicated in colorectal or other cancers, were found by an English collaboration that sequenced samples from the U.K. 100,000 Genomes Project.   Their report was published this month in Nature. The lead author is Alex J. Cornish, of the division of…

Offering self-sampled screening for cervical and colorectal cancers at the time of breast cancer screening can significantly boost participation in these programs without compromising satisfaction with breast cancer screening, show results of a large study in Denmark. Breast cancer screening participation in Denmark exceeds 80% of those invited, but participation…

A combination of two drugs can attack tumors in a non-conventional manner, according to researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Instead of inhibiting tumor cell division, this approach involves using one drug to hyperactivate oncogenic signaling to the point where cells become stressed. The second drug then attacks the stressed…

Two genetic variants magnify the protective effect of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in preventing colorectal cancer, according to a study of data covering more than 70,000 people of European descent. The findings, in the journal Science Advances, implicate two genes directly involved in signaling pathways believed to…

Guardant Health’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening was strongly recommended by the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel of the U.S. FDA’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee, in adults age 45 and older who are at average risk for the disease. The Committee voted 7-to-2 that its benefits outweigh…

Genes related to anoikis, a cell death mechanism, have been linked to colorectal cancer. Using scRNA-seq data, researchers identified seven marker genes related to anoikis and divided colorectal cancer (CRC) samples into high/low prognosis risk groups. They found significant differences in immune infiltration, distribution of immune checkpoints, sensitivity to chemotherapy…

One of the most surprising trends in all of cancer is the rapid increase of colorectal cancer among younger people. Between 1999 and 2020, the rate of colorectal cancers grew 500 percent among children ages 10–14, 333 percent among teens aged 15–19, and 185 percent among young adults ages 20–24…

The FDA has approved Geneoscopy’s colorectal cancer screening test, which is the first such test based on RNA to be approved by the U.S. regulatory agency. In a Phase III trial published last year, the CRC-PREVENT trial, the noninvasive, multitarget stool RNA test called ColoSense was significantly more sensitive than…

Colonoscopy screening intervals could be extended for people without a family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), research suggests, allowing them to avoid unnecessary invasive examinations. The decade-long interval between screenings could potentially be extended to 15 years for those whose first colonoscopy is negative for the cancer, without resulting in…

A single mutation in MUTYH, a gene known to cause colorectal cancer, may cause other solid tumors, according to a study of over 350,000 patient biopsy samples conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Foundation Medicine. Their findings…