Jan
01
2006

Colon Cancer Associated with H. Pylori

By | Cancer

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori has been identified as a risk for the development of stomach cancer. Infection with this microbe has come under more scrutiny, as patients who are seropositive to H. pylori are more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those patients who are seronegative. The green colored bacteria on this image are H. pylori in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dr. Akio Inui from Kagoshima University in Japan has investigated the relationship of this microbe in the development of colon cancer by analyzing data from 332 patients who were screened by virtual colonoscopy (high-resolution colonoscopy) and serological testing for H. pylori. Of the patient group 42 % with H. pylori antibodies had tubular adenomas (precancerous colon cancer lesions) but only 19% of the negative group had colonic cancers. The researchers concluded that more investigations and long-term prospective studies are needed to explore the biological basis of Helicobacter infection and colon cancer.

Colon Cancer Associated with H. Pylori

Colon Cancer Associated with H. Pylori

In the meantime it is important to eradicate infection in order to prevent stomach and colon cancers.

More info on gastritis and H. pylori: http://nethealthbook.com/digestive-system-and-gastrointestinal-disorders/gastritis/

More info on colon cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/colon-cancer/

Reference: Int. J. Cancer 2005; 117: 1058-1059

Last edited October 30, 2014

Aug
01
2005

Virtual Colonoscopy May Help Find Other Disease

By | Cancer, Gastrointestinal Disease, Prevention

California-based researchers reported in the August issue of the medical journal Radiology about a study involving CT colonography, also known as “virtual colonoscopy”. This utilizes CT scanning. Dr.Yee, from the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, did a prospective study where 500 men were studied with an average age of 62.5 years.
200 of them had an average risk for colon cancer; the remainder was at a high risk for colon cancer. The surprising finding was that many disease conditions were found (315 patients or 63%) that were not related to the colon at all, such as renal cysts and hiatal hernias. These were considered to be clinically not important. However another 50 patients (8.4%) were found to have liver lesions, pulmonary nodules, aneurysms and renal tumors, which were largely unknown and were thought to be clinically very significant.
Dr. Judy Yee said that it takes a trained radiologist to interpret these CT scan findings, but that this method of screening would be very cost effective. Looking for the additional life threatening conditions in the routine virtual colonoscopy added only about 28 $ per CT examination and was considered to be very cost effective. The clinically important extra-findings were equally distributed between the high and low risks for colon cancer. Dr. Yee summed up by saying that she hopes that many more Americans would come in for virtual colonoscopy as part of colorectal cancer screening.

Virtual Colonoscopy May Help Find Other Disease

Virtual Colonoscopy May Help Find Other Disease

The advantage is that this is less invasive than a conventional colonoscopy procedure, but at the same time that colon cancer is screened for the radiologist may pick up other clinically relevant medical problems.

More info about colon cancer:  http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/colon-cancer/

Reference: Radiology 2005;236:519-526.

Last edited October 29, 2014