We’ve identified many direct links between poor diet choices and digestive cancers," explains nutrition epidemiologist Yohannes Melaku.
“Unhealthy dietary patterns, marked by high consumption of red and processed meats, fast foods, refined grains, alcohol and sugary beverages, present a worrying relationship with an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers.”
Responsible for 1 in 3 cancer deaths worldwide, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers can occur virtually anywhere in the digestive system, from the throat to the stomach, pancreas, intestines, rectum, and anus.
One in five new colorectal cancer patients in the United States is under 55, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the National Cancer Institute. That is nearly twice the rate in 1995. A recent meta-analysis led by the American Cancer Society found that 17 of the 34 most common cancers — including those of the small intestine, pancreas, and kidney — are occurring more frequently in younger people. Some of them had previously been declining but are now on the upswing again.
Here’s the really scary part: While death rates for colorectal cancer patients over 65 are dropping, they are increasing among younger patients. Scientists say these early cancers can be more deadly because they are often not caught until it’s too late for treatment. (Colonoscopies are not recommended until age 45.)
As a millennial prone to health anxiety, I have the same question: Why is this happening to my generation? Unfortunately, the short answer is: We do not know for certain. But let’s dig into the long answer.
All the more reason to have a colonoscopy at a young age, and if polyps are found, to continue having regular Colonoscopies. I had my first one at 33, and it saved my life. Now that I know I’m high risk, I have polyps removed through a colonoscopy every 3 years.
A colonoscopy is much better than cancer. And, it’s not that bad. I’ve had 5. Each time they have found and removed precancerous polyps.
I had a good friend die at 53 from colon cancer that was stage 4 when found at 48. The doctors kept casually looking for and not finding the cause of her strange and annoying symptoms. My friend insisted on a colonoscopy.
Russia has developed its own mRNA vaccine against cancer, it will be distributed to patients free of charge, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center of the Russian Ministry of Health Andrey Kaprin has told Radio Rossiya.
The vaccine was developed in collaboration with several research centers. It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025.
Earlier, Director of the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Gintsburg told TASS that the vaccine’s pre-clinical trials had shown that it suppresses tumor development and potential metastases.
The vaccine will apparently be used to treat cancer patients, rather than given to the general public to prevent cancer—and it will be personalized to each patient.
Newsweek has emailed the Russian Ministry of Health, the Russian National Medical Research Radiological Center and the Gamaleya National Research Center to confirm the announcement and clarify how the vaccine works.
It is currently not clear which cancers the vaccine is supposed to treat, how effective it is or even what the vaccine is called.
No publication? No Western sources confirming the news? Potentially total BS?
I’ve been meaning to ask about this topic, so I’m glad to see this post.
I’ve been advised to come back in 5-10 years (way to be specific, right)
I definitely plan to do it again in 5, but I do wonder about sooner, although here, insurance won’t cover it.
So, on that note, what does everyone think about the less accurate home tests? Are they good enough to use when you are not scheduled for a colonoscopy or waste of time? (And also @DrFraser )
And do whole boy MRIs catch this sort of thing? I plan to get my first one in the upcoming months
Did they find any polyps (adenomas) at your last colonoscopy? If not, then you can wait 5 years.
In the USA you do have to be careful if a tech did your colonoscopy. I had one done this way and the guy did a horrible job as it took only a fraction of the time that my normal ones did in Hong Kong and unsurprisingly he found nothing.
At the start of the procedure he told me that ‘You’re too young to have polyps. You’re wasting my time.’. So I believe he didn’t take it seriously and just rushed through doing a slipshod job.
My Hong Kong doctors have always found at least.ome polyp and usually more. They usually do a thorough job. I guess you get what you pay for.
Yes. He wasn’t the doctor. He was a young kid with a bad attitude. However I didn’t question his credentials and why a doctor wasn’t doing the procedure. I should have.
I guess that’s why it was cheap. It was done at the hospital though. Fastest colonoscopy I’ve had and the only one that didn’t find any polyps. To be fair, the next one I did two years later only found one polyp so it’s possible there weren’t any at the time.
Dorstarlimab (brand name Jemperli) had some remarkable trial results in June, and the results of that research can be found in The New England Journal of Medicine. Dorstarlimab, a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody, completely eradicated rectal cancer tumors without the need for surgery, radiation treatment or chemotherapy.
Yes. It’s 100% a cure if your genetics match up. Unfortunately, only 5-10% of all rectal cancer will be a match. However, for those lucky few, they now have a full cure.
There was promise that it could be applied to other cancers as well. I hope it can work with additional cancers!
This trial’s new approach, which uses immunotherapy alone, benefits a subset of patients who have tumors with specific genetic characteristics known as mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI).
As MSK’s rectal cancer trial continues, Dr. Diaz hopes “it’s the tip of the iceberg.” He explains: “We are investigating if this same method may help other cancers where the treatments are often life-altering and tumors can be MMRd. We are currently enrolling patients with gastric (stomach), prostate, and pancreatic cancers.”
Between 5% and 10% of all rectal cancer patients are thought to have MMRd tumors, including all the patients in the MSK clinical trial that Sascha participated in. There are 45,000 Americans diagnosed a year with rectal cancer.
Dr. Cercek says: “The most exciting part of this is that every single one of our patients has only needed immunotherapy. We haven’t radiated anybody, and we haven’t put anybody through surgery.” She continues, “They have preserved normal bowel function, bladder function, sexual function, fertility. Women have their uterus and ovaries. It’s remarkable.”
Drs. Cercek and Diaz want people with rectal cancer tumors that are MMRd to know the clinical trial continues to enroll patients and is growing. Dr. Diaz says, “Our message is: Get tested if you have rectal cancer to see if the tumor is MMRd. No matter what stage the cancer is, we have a trial at MSK that may help you. And MSK has special expertise that really matters.”
As MSK’s rectal cancer trial continues, Dr. Diaz hopes “it’s the tip of the iceberg.” He explains: “We are investigating if this same method may help other cancers where the treatments are often life-altering and tumors can be MMRd. We are currently enrolling patients with gastric (stomach), prostate, and pancreatic cancers.”
Dr. Diaz has coined a term for this new method of using immunotherapy alone to target MMRd tumors, calling it “immunoablative” therapy — that means using “immunotherapy to replace surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to remove cancer.” He adds, “That might sound futuristic — but in this trial, we have a clinical example where that happened.”
ChatGPT tells me that about 5% of all cancers are “MMRd”, the rate being higher or lower depending on the type of cancer. So potentially we now have a 100% effective cure for 5% of cancers?
Yes. It’s a 100% cure for 5% of rectal cancers. However it should work with other types of cancers. This will cure 1000s of people every year just for rectal cancer. If it works for prostate and pancreatic cancer, it will be a miracle cure. It’s a wonderful drug.
For rectal cancers it’s 5 to 10%. For ALL cancers it’s about 5% (TBC).