WEDNESDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) — Over the past 15 years, the average survival rate for patients battling advanced colorectal cancer has increased dramatically, new research indicates, due in equal measure to the advent of new, powerful drugs and more frequent surgical interventions.
While in the early- to mid-1990s, the average patient would have survived about 14 months post-diagnosis, by the late 90s that figure began a rapid ascent, the study revealed. The result: The average life expectancy for a newly diagnosed patient today has doubled, to just shy of 30 months post-diagnosis.
Longer-range survival prospects also improved. Where fewer than 10 percent of patients could expect to live five years post-diagnosis in the early to mid-90s, a projected 30 percent of patients can now look forward to that prospect.
“What we’re seeing is that over the past several years both an increase in the use of new chemotherapies and a more aggressive use of surgery for removing cancer that has spread to the liver has resulted in very significant increases in longer survival for patients,” said study lead author Dr. Scott Kopetz, an assistant professor in the department of gastrointestinal medical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “And this increase is of a magnitude that is rarely seen in the treatment of cancer,” he said.
The findings appear in the May 26 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the United States, with nearly 150,000 patients diagnosed in 2008 alone, according to the American Cancer Society.
In their effort to gauge patient survival trends, the authors first reviewed data regarding nearly 2,500 colorectal cancer patients who had treatments at either M.D. Anderson or at the Mayo Clinic between 1990 and 2006.
In that time, overall average survival rates went up, from about 14 months post-diagnosis between 1990 and 1997 to almost 19 months between 1998 and 2003. By the end of the study in 2006, that figure had shot up to just over 29 months.
Five-year survival rates also increased, from just over 9 percent between 1990 and 1997 to 13 percent between 1998 and 2000; and then again to just over 19 percent between 2001 and 2003. The authors now estimate that nearly 30 percent of patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2006 will ultimately have survived five years post-diagnosis.
These trends were confirmed by a secondary analysis of U.S. National Cancer Institute data on 50,000 patients with metastatic colon cancer between 1990 and 2005.
The researchers noted that although less than 10 percent of the patients had undergone a surgical procedure known as hepatic resection (to deal with the spread of disease to the liver), the intervention started to be performed with greater frequency beginning in 2000.
Even more impressive survival rates would be possible down the road, Kopetz suggested, if more patients who could benefit from surgery were encouraged to have it.
“Our best estimates are that 20 to 30 percent of metastatic colon cancer patients would be eligible for surgery for their disease,” he noted. “But the data indicates that only about 5 percent of patients are currently undergoing these surgeries.
Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said the findings need to be interpreted with caution.
“We have certainly made advances in treatment as a result of chemotherapy, compared to where we were 10, 15, 30 years ago, he noted. And we’ve also learned that there is a group of patients where we can do something with surgical techniques, and they can often go on to do very well. And yes, the results, in terms of improved survival trends, are important. But the question is, does this trend these improvements— really apply to every institution across the U.S.?” he said.
“The answer is probably not,” he added, “because the treatment opportunities and technical know-how differs from institution to institution, and even the types of patients who get seen are different. Those patients reflected in this study have, for example, come to the two places included in this analysis and sought out the very best high-quality care. And this kind of care is not always available across the country. So, this does indicate what is possible to achieve. But we have to be careful about drawing too broad a conclusion.”
More information
For more on colon cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
SOURCE: Scott Kopetz, M.D., assistant professor, gastrointestinal medical oncology, department of gastrointestinal medical oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; Len Lichtenfeld, M.D., deputy chief medical officer, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; May 26, 2009, Journal of Clinical Oncology
Last Updated: May 27, 2009
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Comments (5)
I thought that people lived longer without colon cancer. Just kidding. Seriously though, it is troubling just how many people get cancer now; when there was a time when it simply did not happen. What changed so much that people seem to just get diseases now that we are generally very unsuccessful at treating?
There has only been one large change in our lifestyles between now and 100 years ago, when heart disease was rare, and not everybody knew a friend or relative with cancer. That would be our diet. What we eat has changed dramatically, to the point that as a society; we rely on processed foods that are the exact color and flavor that we expect them to be (and ready in 5 minutes). Unfortunately, they are not at all healthy, and they are responsible in large part for the huge increase in people who suffer with these conditions.
http://NaturallyGoodMagazine.com/blog
I know firsthand about the need for early detection. I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer on March 31, 2005, where eighteen inches of my colon was removed. It was in the hospital, where I saw kids suffering from cancer, that I had the vision to start Lifedriven, to encourage others who are fighting for their lives.
So, after months of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and then more chemotherapy, I became one of the fortunate ones, a cancer survivor. I started the Lifedriven Foundation, in September 2006, a non-profit organization, that’s committed to promoting awareness of and access to life-changing preventive healthcare for kids in economically disadvantaged communities of Los Angeles, and to finding the cure for cancer.
This is not just my story. This is America’s story. Cancer affects each and every one of us because we all either know someone who has cancer or has a friend who knows someone who is battling cancer. Chronic diseases like cancer make up 75% of all healthcare costs. But, early diagnosis and adequate treatment can save lives and lower the costs of healthcare in Los Angeles. by chris angelo word
The problem is that you are extremely likely to get cancer again in the future, as a result of taking so many poisons. It is a sad story that is repeated in so many cases. I have watched it happen, and I am sure that you have too.
Cancer in one area is “cured”, and then a ‘new’ cancer appears in another area. There are alternatives.
The article is about living longer with colon cancer. Yes, people are living longer with colon cancer. Nobody lives forever, but having the chance to live longer, allowed me to meet and marry my wife, and start the Lifedriven Foundation, a non-profit organization where we work to grant miracles to children battling cancer by sending them to some of the happiest places on earth, e.g. Disneyland.
http://www.lifedriven.org
Dear Health News,
I am a 50-year-old African American male who would like for you to consider my story as a part of a regular feature in your magazine to inspire your readers.
I know firsthand about the need for healthcare and how expensive it can be. I had bad eating habits. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and as much as I wanted. As a result, I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer on March 31, 2005, where eighteen inches of my colon was removed. So, after months of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and then more chemotherapy, I became one of the fortunate ones, a cancer survivor. Thanks to the successful treatment I received from doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, I believed I had been given another chance to change my lifestyle for the better. I am convinced that if I had cleansed my colon, I could have saved over $350,000 in medical bills and this would not have been my story. My goal now is to help people avoid the pain, discomfort, and costs of cancer treatment. This is what inspired me to design and market the Lifedriven Cleanse the only all natural, antioxidant-enriched colonic and body detox treatment that is specially formulated by a Colon Cancer Survivor.
The idea behind cleansing your colon is to remove toxins, boost your digestive immune system, help you lose weight, and increase your energy. Because of the rising costs of health care, 47 million people in this wealthy country have little or no healthcare coverage at all. Colon cancer kills 17% more African Americans each year, than whites, despite its preventable nature. I challenge every American, especially African Americans, in 2010 to cleanse their colon. By eliminating toxins from the body you help reduce the risk of preventable disease and thereby, help lower the costs of healthcare.
By sharing this story, I hope to help decrease the diagnosis of preventable diseases in African Americans.
Chris & Alicia word
Phone: 323 933 6984