Does adjuvant therapy work in colon cancer?

Article Abstract:

Colorectal carcinoma ranks second to lung cancer as a cause of death from cancer in the United States. The success of surgical resection or removal of the tumor to eliminate the cancer depends on the stage of tumor development. The cancer is localized in the colorectal area in stage B2, but it is spread to the lymph nodes in stage C. The five-year survival rate after surgical resection is 70 to 75 percent in patients with stage B2 tumors, and 35 to 60 percent among those with stage C tumors. Adjuvant, or supplemental, therapy to prevent recurrence of the cancer in these patients includes the use of anticancer agents, radiation treatment, and immunomodulatory agents or drugs that alter the body's natural defense system. Fluorouracil is commonly used for the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer and may be combined with other anticancer or immunomodulatory agents to improve its effectiveness. Two studies have shown that the antiparasitic drug levamisole combined with fluorouracil decrease the recurrence of cancer and increase the survival rate of patients with stage C tumors. This combination had no clear benefit in patients with stage B2 tumors. It is not clear what contribution levamisole makes to the anticancer action, since levamisole alone has no effect. Folinic acid was shown to enhance the anticancer action of fluorouracil and may have similar effects if combined with levamisole. Further studies are required to define the role of levamisole in adjuvant anticancer therapy. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Evaluation, Colorectal cancer, Drug therapy, Cancer, Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, Folinic acid, Adjuvant chemotherapy, editorial, Levamisole

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Gastric carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Cancer of the stomach is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the world. An overview of the stomach cancer known as gastric carcinoma is provided. While the worldwide occurrence of gastric carcinoma has decreased, occurrence in certain regions has increased. Risk factors include Helicobacter pylori infection, chronic atrophic gastritis, consumption of insufficiently preserved or highly salted foods, and insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables. Symptoms of gastric carcinoma include stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and weight loss. However, symptoms usually do not appear until the cancer is fairly advanced. Diagnosis generally is made by an upper gastrointestinal series, followed by an endoscopy and biopsy. Prognosis depends on the level of tumor penetration in the stomach wall and of metastases to lymph nodes and nearby organs. The only way to cure the disease seems to be by surgical removal of tumors and local lymph nodes. Radiotherapy appears to be ineffective, but some chemotherapeutic drugs have reduced tumor sizes.

Stomach cancer

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Carcinoma of the anal canal

Article Abstract:

Combination radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be effective in treating anal cancer. Anal cancer is very rare, affecting only a few thousand people each year. It is usually caused by papillomavirus, which is sexually transmitted. For this reason, it can occur in gay men who practice anal intercourse. Women with a history of a sexually transmitted disease can also develop anal cancer. Immunosuppression, HIV infection, and smoking are also risk factors. Surgery used to be the only treatment, but patients would need a colostomy. Now many can be treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Anal cancer

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