The MEK inhibitor Mekinist (trametinib) is to be tested in combination with  Opdivo (nivolumab) — or Opdivo plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) — in colorectal cancer patients with microsatellite stable tumors under a clinical collaboration between Novartis and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The Phase 1/2 trial will aim to establish the recommended dose regimens and an early assessment of the effectiveness of the two combinations. The study will test the therapies in patients with metastatic and microsatellite stable colorectal cancer, whose tumors have a fully functional DNA r ..read more

Certain patients who underwent surgery for lymph-node positive colon cancer (stage 3) may require only three months of chemotherapy after surgery instead of the standard six months, according to an analysis of six clinical trials with more than 12,800 patients. The study, “Prospective pooled analysis of six phase III trials investigating duration of adjuvant (adjuv) oxaliplatin-based therapy (3 vs 6 months) for patients (pts) with stage III colon cancer (CC): The IDEA (International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant chemotherapy) collaboration,” was recently presented at the 2017 American ..read more

The MEK inhibitor binimetinib will soon be tested in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) in colorectal cancer patients with microsatellite stable tumors, under a clinical collaboration between Array BioPharma and Bristol-Myers Squibb. “Array is pleased to announce this new collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb,” Array CEO Ron Squarer said in a news release. “Based on emerging data, we believe that studying combinations of targeted therapies such as binimetinib with immuno-oncology agents, such as Opdivo and Yervoy, could provide important scientific advances for pat ..read more

Trovagene’s PCM-075 therapy for several blood cancers and solid tumors, including colon cancer, proved safe in a Phase 1 clinical trial. The results of the trail conducted by Nerviano Medical Sciences will be submitted for publication soon. PCM-075 inhibits the polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) protein, which contributes to the development of certain types of cancer. The trial (NCT01014429) assessed the safety of PCM-075 in 21 patients whose mean age was 62.7 years old. The group had advanced or metastatic solid tumors, including colon, pancreatic, lung, and head and neck cancer. Patients receiv ..read more

Colorectal cancer patients with unresectable or metastatic tumors bearing a genetic feature — microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) — will now have access to Merck‘s immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 23 granted accelerated approval for Keytruda’s use in treating adults and children with any solid tumor having such genetic features, not only colorectal cancer. This is the first time the FDA approveds a medicine for patients with a specific biomarker rather ..read more

Overweight boys have a higher risk of developing colon cancer in adulthood, but if they lose the extra pounds by young adulthood, that higher risk goes away, a Danish study found. Researchers at Copenhagen’s Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital presented their findings at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO), held May 17-20 in Porto, Portugal. While prior studies have shown that overweight children are more likely than those of normal weight to develop colon cancer as adults, no study had looked at the impact of changes in body mass index from childhood to adult ..read more

Tom Marsilje, who survived stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC), has joined forces with New York-based Fight Colorectal Cancer to help patients search for microsatellite stable (MSS-CRC) clinical trials. The updated tool, now called the “Late Stage MSS-CRC Trial Finder: A curated list powered by patients,” is an update of Marsilje’s own spreadsheet that he personally curated for two years. It has since been converted into an app, developed in collaboration with late-stage patients he met online. It is currently accepted that colorectal tumors can be classified, according to th ..read more

The Colon Cancer Coalition, a nonprofit organization that encourages grassroots efforts to promote colon cancer awareness and screening, is partnering with Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA) to try to achieve an 80 percent colon cancer screening rate in the United States. Almost 96,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with colon cancer, and the disease has become the  second leading cancer killer for men and women, according to the American Cancer Society. But colon cancer is also the most detectable and treatable form of cancer, if detected early. The Colon Cancer Coalition us ..read more

A new European project aims to develop an innovative endoscope device that can detect and diagnose colorectal cancer in its early stages. Called PICCOLO, the project is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. It’s tackling one of the world’s predominant cancers by using new optical technologies that identify precancerous polyps and early colon cancers. Colorectal cancer represents around one-tenth of all cancers worldwide, and nearly 95 percent of these cases are adenocarcinomas, which typically start as a tissue growth called a polyp. Early and accurate di ..read more

People who eat healthy, exercise, and do not smoke are less likely to report a personal history of colorectal cancer or colon polyps, according to a Cleveland Clinic online survey. Another key finding was that more people 50 and over need to comply with colorectal cancer screening guidelines. About 27,000 people worldwide took part in the survey, which indicated which risk factors, including diet and lifestyle behaviors, people could change to reduce their risk of developing colon cancer. The clinic presented the findings at the Digestive Disease Week convention in Chicago ..read more