Human colon cancer cells with the cell nuclei stained red and the protein E-cadherin stained green. Image by the NCI Center for Cancer Research
The chances of surviving colon cancer could depend on which side of the colon the cancer strikes.
A national study led by a UC San Francisco oncologist has found that patients with metastatic colon cancer that develops on the left side of the colon survive significantly longer than those with cancer that develops on the right side. Additionally, the researchers learned that a standard drug used to treat colon cancer offers little benefit for patients whose cancer originated on the right side.
The findings from the large, federally-funded clinical trial suggest that colon cancer is actually not one but a number of different diseases. Until more is known, the researchers say that colon cancer originating on the right side should be treated differently than colon cancer occurring on the left side.
The research will be released on May 18, 2016, at 5 p.m. (ET), ahead of the 2016 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Could Change How Colon Cancer is Treated
“All colon cancer is not created equally,” said UCSF oncologist Alan P. Venook, MD, principal investigator of the study. He is the Madden Family Distinguished Professor of Medical Oncology and Translational Research and the Shorenstein Associate Director for Program Development at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“It is very clear that the biology of the colon on the right side is different from the biology on the left side,” Venook said. “Previous research suggested that tumor location could affect clinical outcomes, but the effects we observed in this trial appeared to be far great than we expected. This could potentially change the way that colon cancer is treated.”
This year’s ASCO meeting June 3-7 in Chicago is expected to draw 30,000 oncology professionals from around the world to discuss key advances and groundbreaking research in cancer. The theme of the meeting is Collective Wisdom: The Future of Patient-Centered Care and Research.
More than 5,200 scientific abstracts were accepted for the meeting. The colon cancer abstract is one of five chosen for special advance presentation. Venook will formally present the colon cancer trial results on June 5.