A Mayo Clinic study has reported that one in six patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) had an inherited cancer-related gene mutation, which likely predisposed them to the disease. In the study, ‘Use of Family History and Genetic Testing to Determine Risk of Colorectal Cancer’, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, researchers within the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine also discovered that 60% of these cases would not have been detected if relying on a standard guideline-based approach.

NHS England announced a pilot programme that will offer some people with potential bowel cancer symptoms a colon capsule endoscopy, instead of the more invasive colonoscopy test. It is a small pilot at the moment, with 40 centres signed up and 11,000 pill cameras available.

The American College of Gastroenterology has published updated recommendations for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, ‘ACG Clinical Guidelines: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021’, in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. The latest guidelines are an update from the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology CRC screening guidelines.

A group of researchers from Osaka University have determined a specific molecular mechanism that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) uses to adapt to growing in the human stomach for long periods of time. Reporting their findings, ‘A bacterial small RNA regulates the adaptation of Helicobacter pylori to the host environment’, in Nature Communications, they found that a small RNA molecule called, HPnc4160, plays a key role in how H. pylori invades the stomach and leads to disease.

Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, in collaboration with the Candiolo Cancer Institute in Italy and the Netherlands Cancer Institute, have used state-of-the-art patient derived organoid models to gather information about Werner Helicase (WRN), in cancers that had become resistant to standard treatment.

Research by Yale Cancer Center shows patients with early-onset colorectal cancer, age 50 and younger, have a better survival rate than patients diagnosed with the disease later in life, according to a study presented virtually at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting.

Medtronic has announced that the FDA has granted de novo clearance for GI Genius intelligent endoscopy module, the first and only commercially available computer-aided detection (CADe) system using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify colorectal polyps. The module, compatible with any colonoscope video, provides physicians with a powerful new solution in the fight against colorectal cancer, the third most common form of cancer globally with 1.8 million new cases in 2018.1

People with Crohn's disease are typically treated with powerful anti-inflammatory medications that act throughout their body, not just in their digestive tract, creating the potential for unintended, and often serious, side effects. Certain immune cells in the small intestine have evolved a molecular sensing mechanism to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high bile acid concentrations there, this sensory mechanism can be manipulated with small drug-like molecules, and the treatment was found to reduce small bowel inflammation in mice.

IV contrast-enhanced 2-millisievert CT (2-mSv CT) is comparable to conventional-dose CT (CDCT) for the diagnosis of right colonic diverticulitis, according to the outcomes from a randomised controlled trial data including more than 3,000 patients.

Mitochondrial DNA mutations in colorectal tumours increases the chances of survival for patients, according to a study funded by Cancer Research UK. Scientists reporting their findings in a paper in Nature Metabolism. ‘Respiratory complex and tissue lineage drive recurrent mutations in tumour mtDNA’, found that patients with colorectal cancer had a 57 to 93% decreased risk of death from their cancer, depending on the presence and type of mitochondrial DNA mutations in their tumours.

Researchers at McMaster University have identified a strain of adherent-invasive E-coli (AIEC) that is strongly implicated in the condition and is often found in the intestines of people with Crohn's disease. By mutating every gene in a particular strain of AIEC and testing how those mutants grow in mice, the researchers were able to pinpoint which genes allowed the bacteria to freely colonize the gut linings of people with Crohn's disease.

Laparoscopic rectal mobilisation and urogenital separation appears to be a safe alternative to open surgery in eligible patients with cloacal malformations, according to the outcomes from a study by the team in the Colorectal and Pelvic Malformation Center at Boston Children's Hospital. The findings were featured in the paper, ‘A New Approach to Cloaca: Laparoscopic Separation of the Urogenital Sinus’, published in the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques.

Researchers have discovered that aspirin prevents blood platelets from producing an enzyme that allows them to clump together and regular, long-term use of low-dose aspirin may reduce the risk of death from colon and rectal cancers. Tumour cells can attach to these clumps and spread (metastasize) throughout the body. The findings were recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

A targeted opioid that only treats diseased tissues and spares healthy tissues relieves pain from inflammatory bowel disease without causing side effects, according to researchers at New York University College of Dentistry and Queen's University in Ontario. The paper, ‘Agonist that activates the µ-opioid receptor in acidified microenvironments inhibits colitis pain without side effects’, published in the journal Gut, was conducted in mice with colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease marked by inflammation of the large intestine.

Lumendi has launched EZ Glide, a proprietary hydrophilic coating applied to the inner sheath of its DiLumen EIP, a double-balloon endoluminal device that aims to safely improve the navigation of the endoscope through the bowel, create a stabilising therapeutic zone inside the colon during endoluminal interventions, and help minimise potential mucosal injury.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new modelling approach, the pGENMi model, to better understand how tumours become aggressive. The researchers pooled the data from their own experiments as well as publicly available data to develop the model, which was based on a simpler 2018 model that investigated regulators of cancer drug resistance.

The latest outcomes from the Swedish Obese Subjects have reported that the risk from colorectal cancer does not rise after bariatric surgery, according to a study by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This finding is important for patients with obesity, and their healthcare professionals, when deciding upon such an operation, the authors noted.

A multi-disciplinary team at Washington University in St Louis has developed and tested an innovative imaging technique that is able to differentiate between rectal tissues with residual cancers and those without tumours after chemotherapy and radiation, which could one day help to avoid unnecessary surgeries in some patients who have achieved complete tumour destruction after chemoradiation.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and drink could increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to researchers at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation. The findings, based on questionnaires about food behaviours completed by around 8,000 people in Spain, were reported in the paper, ‘Consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks and colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer’, published in Clinical Nutrition.

A backlog of nearly half a million endoscopy procedures, essential for diagnosing gastrointestinal cancers and diseases, has built up during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis of NHS England data led by University College London researchers. The outcomes were featured in the paper, ‘Predicting endoscopic activity recovery in England after COVID-19: a national analysis’, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, show the number of endoscopies being performed in April 2020, the month following the first lockdown, fell by over 90%.

A systematic review comparing clinical outcome of haemorrhoidectomy and rubber band ligation in grade II–III haemorrhoids has reported that haemorrhoidectomy seems to provide better symptom control but results in more pain and complications. Moreover, the study researchers from The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, claim that because of the poor quality of the studies available they were unable to determine which procedure results in the best treatment for grade II–III haemorrhoids.

Colorectal cancer survivors who maintained a stable body weight but lost muscle and developed fatty deposits in their muscles faced a 40 percent higher risk of premature death than patients who avoided both health issues, according to a study by researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Researchers led by Harald zur Hausen from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have detected the pathogens in colorectal cancer patients in close proximity to tumours. The researchers show that the Bovine meat and milk factors (BMMFs) - novel infectious agents found in dairy products and bovine sera - trigger local chronic inflammation, which can cause mutations via activated oxygen molecules and thus promote cancer development in the long term.

CT colonography (CTC) with 10mm threshold most effectively targets advanced neoplasia (AN) preserving detection while decreasing unnecessary colonoscopies, compared with Multi-target stool-DNA (mt-sDNA) and faecal immunochemical tests (FIT).

Naturally occurring toxins in food and potentially harmful foodborne microbes can damage our intestines, leading to repeated minor injuries. In healthy people, such damage typically heals in a day or two, however, in people with Crohn's disease the wounds can fester causing abdominal pain, bleeding, diarrhoea and other unpleasant symptoms.

Cancers that are resistant to radiotherapy could be rendered susceptible through treatment with immunotherapy and manipulating bowel cancers based on their "immune landscape" could unlock new ways to treat resistant tumours.

A machine learning algorithm helps accurately differentiate benign and premalignant colorectal polyps on CT colonography scans, according to researchers from the University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich Germany. The findings were reported in the paper, ‘Machine Learning–based Differentiation of Benign and Premalignant Colorectal Polyps Detected with CT Colonography in an Asymptomatic Screening Population: A Proof-of-Concept Study’, published in the journal Radiology.

Scientists from the Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago have reported that a nanotherapy reduces intestinal inflammation and shrinks lesions in a rodent model of severe Crohn's disease. This approach could become an alternative to biologic antibody therapies that carry many side effects, including increased risk of certain cancers and might also prevent the need for surgery in the future.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin have reported that the genotoxin colibactin induces genetic changes that are characteristic of colorectal cancer cells and cause a transformed phenotype after only a few hours of infection. The findings were featured in the paper, ‘Genomic aberrations after short-term exposure to colibactin-producing E. coli transform primary colon epithelial cells’, published in Nature Communications.

Washington University School of Medicine researchers have reported that a liquid biopsy examining blood or urine can help gauge the effectiveness of therapy for colorectal cancer (CRC) that has just begun to spread beyond the original tumour. Such a biopsy can detect lingering disease and could serve as a guide for deciding whether a patient should undergo further treatments due to some tumour cells evading an initial attempt to eradicate the cancer.

Scientists from Nanjing University and the University of Macau have devised a new approach to extend the survival of transplanted probiotics in vivo, enhancing the efficacy of cancer chemo-/immunotherapies in mice. The approach was outlined in the paper, ‘Smectite promotes probiotic biofilm formation in the gut for cancer immunotherapy’, published in Cell Reports.

Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Oncology has announced that the CanStem303C study evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational agent napabucasin, when given in combination with FOLFIRI with or without bevacizumab in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer, failed to reach the primary endpoints of overall survival (OS).

Colorectal cancer screening rates jumped by more than 1,000 percent when researchers sent take-at-home tests to patients overdue for testing at a community health centre that predominantly serves ethnic minorities. Instead of the oft-standard text message that simply reminds a patient that they are overdue for screening, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania made it the default to send a take-at-home test to the patient's home unless they opted out via a text message prompt.

AbbVie has announced positive results from two Phase 3 induction studies, ADVANCE and MOTIVATE, showing both doses of risankizumab (600mg and 1200mg) met both primary endpoints of clinical remission and endoscopic response at week 12 in adult patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease. The ADVANCE study enrolled patients who had an inadequate response or were intolerant to conventional and/or biologic therapy. The MOTIVATE study evaluated patients who had responded inadequately or were intolerant to biologic therapy.

Landos Biopharma has announced positive results from a first-in-patients 12-week Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial of BT-11, a novel, orally administered, gut-restricted Lanthionine Synthetase C-Like 2 (LANCL2) modulator in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC).

Researchers from the Department of Human Genetics at Michigan Medicine, and a team of collaborators have reported a method for screening so-called genetic variants of uncertain significance in the hopes of identifying those mutations that could cause colorectal cancer. The findings were featured in the paper, ‘Massively parallel functional testing of MSH2 missense variants conferring Lynch syndrome risk’, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics

A surgical procedure meant to counter ulcerative colitis, may trigger a second immune system attack, a study by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine has reported. Colon tissue damaged by the disease is routinely addressed with a "J-pouch" procedure wherein a pouch is surgically constructed from nearby, healthy small intestine tissue to replace the damaged section of the colon.

A Veterans Affairs study has reported  that delays in undergoing colonoscopy following an abnormal stool test increase the risk of a colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis and cancer-related death. In a retrospective study of more than 200,000 Veterans, the researchers found that patients who received colonoscopy more than 13 months after an abnormal stool blood test were up to 1.3 times more likely to have CRC, compared with those who had colonoscopy up to three months after the stool test.

Nagoya University researchers have revealed that colorectal cancer tissues contain at least two types of fibroblasts (a type of cells found in connective tissue), namely, cancer-promoting fibroblasts and cancer-restraining fibroblasts, and that the balance between them is largely involved in the progression of colorectal cancer.

There is substantial evidence that a daily aspirin can reduce risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in adults up to age 70, but until now there was little evidence about whether older adults should start taking aspirin. Researchers led by Dr Andrew T Chan, a gastroenterologist and chief of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), have found that taking aspirin before the age of 70 lowers CRC risk.

Demand for cancer surgery is expected to increase from 9.1 million to 13.8 million procedures over the next twenty years, requiring a huge increase in the workforce including nearly 200,000 additional surgeons and 87,000 anaesthetists globally, according to two studies, published in The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology. The studies caution that as access to post-operative care is strongly linked to lower mortality, improving care systems worldwide must be a priority in order to reduce disproportionate number of deaths following complications.

The colons of African-Americans and people of European descent age differently, according to research that helps to explain racial disparities in colorectal cancer. Scientists led by UVA Health's Dr  Li Li, Graham Casey and Matt Devall of the Center for Public Health Genomics, found that one side of the colon ages biologically faster than the other in both African-Americans and people of European descent.

A faecal immunochemical test (FIT) can help identify who is at risk of developing colorectal cancer, aiding early diagnosis and potentially saving lives, according to a study led by the University of Exeter, and supported by the Peninsula and the Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon, and Gloucestershire Cancer Alliances, and by the Cancer Research UK CanTest Collaborative.

More than a third of eligible people miss timely screening tests for colorectal cancer and at least a quarter appear to miss timely screening tests for breast and cervical cancers, according to a researcher from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in Alberta, Canada.

Hundreds of cancer patients have benefitted from using computer algorithms to manage their symptoms and improve their wellbeing in a unique UK trial. The early stage colorectal, breast or gynaecological cancer patients took part in the trial of the eRAPID system, developed by the University of Leeds, which allowed them to report online symptoms from home and receive instant advice on whether to self-manage or seek medical attention.

Researchers from Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute have developed a novel, patient-derived model of ulcerative colitis, which will help advance studies into new treatments for the chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The team used the model to identify a promising target that could be inhibited to slow disease progression. The outcomes from the model were reported in the paper, ‘Induced organoids derived from patients with ulcerative colitis recapitulate colitic reactivity’, published in Nature Communications.

A sizeable fraction of patients COVID-19 hospitalised with breathing problems also have diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, suggesting that when the virus does get involved in the gastrointestinal tract  (GI) tract it increases the severity of the disease.

Colorectal cancer cells enter into a sluggish, slow-dividing state to survive the harsh environment created by chemotherapy or other targeted agents, according to researchers from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto. Dr Catherine O'Brien and colleagues discovered that when under threat, all cancer cells rather than just a subset have the ability to transition into this protective state, where the cells ‘rest’ until the threat, or chemotherapy, is removed.

Apollo Endosurgery has gained FDA 510k clearance of the X-Tack Endoscopic HeliX Tacking System, a new, through-the-scope, suture-based device designed specifically for closing and healing defects in the lower gastrointestinal tract with additional applications in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Researchers from SWOG Cancer Research Network, a cancer clinical trials group funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have shown that a triple drug combination - of irinotecan, cetuximab and vemurafenib - is a more powerful tumour fighter and keeps people with metastatic colon cancer disease free for a significantly longer period of time, compared with patients treated with irinotecan and cetuximab.

A research group of the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO) and the Hospital Arnau de Vilanova has released a pioneering study, which for the first time links the development and progression of colon cancer with a low level of lymphocytes known as gamma delta T cells. The findings were featured in the paper, ' Differences in circulating γδ T cells in patients with primary colon cancer and relation with prognostic factors', published in Plos One.

Fluorescence guidance can enable a colorectal surgeon to assess cancer tissues visually and with more specificity in real-time during surgery, by using near-infrared (NIR) light from an administered fluorophore in conjunction with artificial intelligence (AI) methods, according to research lead by Professor Ronan Cahill, professor of surgery at University College Dublin (UCD) and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Ireland.

A higher body mass index (BMI) increases the risk of cancer for men and a higher waist-to-hip ratio increases the risk for women, according to a study of over 100,000 people led by researchers at the University of Bristol and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

In a comprehensive review of SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) 18 data researchers who analysed histologic colorectal subtypes independently have found that some lesions categorised as colorectal cancer may potentially be lower-risk tumours.

Scientists at UC Davis Health have discovered that an enzyme in the colon lining releases hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) - a known disinfecting compound - to protect the body from gut microbes. Their study, ‘Anaerobic Respiration of NOX1-Derived Hydrogen Peroxide Licenses Bacterial Growth at the Colonic Surface’, published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, sheds light on the way microorganisms are spatially organized in the colon. It also calls for a new approach to treating gut inflammation.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) devised a plan to deliver chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) in a bilayered capsule, after discovering that this mode of delivery could decrease colon cramping and thus produce helping patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). In preclinical studies, the team found evidence that this bilayered delivery system has the potential to reduce cramping and provide constipation relief.

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be at higher risk of developing two of the three cancers that occur most commonly in people with MS, breast and colorectal cancer, than people who do not have the disease, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, the study did find that people with MS had a higher incidence of bladder cancer.

Researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School have reported Vitamin D regulates calcium in a section of the intestine that previously was thought not to have played a key role. The findings have important implications on how bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, may disrupt calcium regulation.

A cancer-killing virus that City of Hope scientists developed could one day improve the immune system's ability to eradicate tumours in colon cancer patients, according to a study in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

A study led by researchers at The Ohio State University (OSU) Comprehensive Cancer Center, Arthur G James Cancer Hospital and Richard J Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC—James) have described a potential therapeutic anticancer vaccine that frees suppressed cancer-killing immune cells, enabling them to attack and destroy a tumour.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have detected a connection between Brachyspira, a genus of bacteria in the intestines, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) especially the form that causes diarrhoea. Although the discovery needs confirmation in larger studies, there is hope that it might lead to new remedies for many people with irritable bowel syndrome.

For the first time, SAHMRI and University of Adelaide researchers are investigating gene therapy as an option to help people with metastatic bowel cancer. Like most cancers, bowel cancer is surrounded by many normal cells that are corrupted to support cancer growth. Dr. Susan Woods, A/Prof Daniel Worthley and their team have been studying why some of these supportive cells (fibroblasts) assist cancer growth, while others actively work to stop it.

Women diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer have a greater risk of dying from the disease depending upon their county of residence in the US, according to a study, ‘Community Health Behaviors and Geographic Variation in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survival Among Women’, published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.

The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion for low-income people appears to lead to earlier diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), enhanced access to care, and improved surgical care for patients with this common cancer, researchers report in a study published on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print.

A secondary analysis of the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), which concluded in 2018, has narrowed in on the connection between taking vitamin D supplements and risk of metastatic or fatal cancer, according to a team led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The original analysis found that vitamin D did not reduce overall incidence of cancer, but hinted at a decreased risk of cancer deaths.

fruquintinib therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), granted fast-track designation by the FDA in June 2020, is being assessed in a phase 3 clinical trial at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Cannabidiol (CBD) oils are equally or less effective at inhibiting the growth of certain cancer cells, including colorectal cancer cells, compared to pure CBD, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The results of their study indicate that future research into the clinical applications of cannabinoids should include an analysis of whether the pure cannabinoid compound or intact plant material is more effective at achieving the therapeutic effect.

Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine research scientists have developed and tested one of the first US-based models to predict personal risk for advanced colorectal neoplasia (AN) in average risk individuals. They found that among average-risk persons, this model estimates AN risk with high discrimination, identifying a lower risk subgroup that may be screened non-invasively and a higher risk subgroup for which colonoscopy may be preferred.

States that have expanded Medicaid availability as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), mortality rates for three major forms of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC) are significantly lower than in states that have not expanded their Medicaid, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard University shows.

An enzyme that helps COVID-19 infect the body also plays a role in inflammation and patient outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study led by Cedars-Sinai. The findings raise the possibility that anti-inflammatory drug therapies for IBD may aid recovery from coronavirus.

A University of Colorado Boulder-led study has reported how a protein controls how cells grow, proliferate and function and long implicated in tumour development. The findings, ‘Selective inhibition of CDK7 reveals high-confidence targets and new models for TFIIH function in transcription, Genes & Development’, published in the journal Genes and Development, could lead not only to new therapies for hard-to-treat cancers, but also inform novel treatments for neurological diseases and rare developmental disorders, the study’s authors claim.

Johns Hopkins researchers have designed tiny, star-shaped microdevices that can latch onto intestinal mucosa and release drugs into the body. Dr David Gracias, a professor in the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, and Johns Hopkins gastroenterologist, Mr Florin M Selaru, director of the Johns Hopkins Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, led a team of researchers and biomedical engineers that designed and tested shape-changing microdevices that mimic the way the parasitic hookworm affixes itself to an organism's intestines.

People whose treatment for cancer is delayed by even one month have in many cases a 6-13% higher risk of dying, a risk that keeps rising the longer their treatment does not begin, according to research led by the Queen's University in Kingston, Canada.

A study from the University of Birmingham has found that 50% of patients with colorectal peritoneal metastasis (CPM), a rare type of cancer that has spread into the lining of their abdomen (peritoneal cavity), may be suitable for immunotherapy treatment.

The US Multisociety Task Force on Colorectal Cancer has released new guidance for endoscopists on how to assess colorectal lesions for features associated with cancer, discuss how these factors guide management, and outline when to advise surgery after malignant polyp removal. The recommendations, ‘Endoscopic Recognition and Management Strategies for Malignant Colorectal Polyps: Recommendations of the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer’, were published in the journal Gastroenterology. T

GI Windows Medical’s self-forming magnetic compression anastomosis device indicated for small bowel end to end anastomosis for ileostomy reversal or tissue resection, has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA.

A research team led by Professor Sanguk Kim in the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH has successfully increased the accuracy of anti-cancer drug response predictions by using data closest to a real person's response. The team developed this machine learning technique through algorithms that learn the transcriptome information from artificial organoids derived from actual patients instead of animal models.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine conducted genetic testing in more than 3,000 patients who were diagnosed with cancer and discovered that one in eight patients with cancer had an inherited cancer-related gene mutation. This mutation would not have been detected in half of these patients using a standard guideline-based approach.

A team led by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists Tobias Janowitz and Douglas Fearon together with Duncan Jodrell at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and Centre, University of Cambridge, UK, have reported the outcomes of a clinical trial of the drug plerixafor that induces an integrated immune response in the tumours of patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer types that do not usually respond to immunotherapy.

Low muscle quality and quantity are both predictive of poor outcomes in colon resection surgery, according to a study led by Professor Carla Prado, a researcher in the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, in 2020, colorectal cancer is expected to be the second-leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian men and the third-leading cause of death from cancer in women. Surgery is often used to remove the cancer, and post-operative complications can affect a patient's quality of life.

A new 3D cell culture technique developed by Purdue University researchers could make it possible to personalise treatment by understanding the contributions of different cell types in a tumour to the cancer's behaviour. The Purdue team is the first to demonstrate a 3D cell culture from individually selected cells. The technique is described in the paper, ‘Deterministic culturing of single cells in 3D’, Scientific Reports, would allow scientists to more accurately know the impact of each cell on a tumour’s formation and behaviour.

A personalised program to increase resilience in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can substantially reduce hospitalisations and emergency room visits, according to a study by Mount Sinai researchers presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG 2020).

A panel of health experts from the US Preventive Services Task Force wants US adults to start getting colon cancer screenings at age 45, five years younger than it previously recommended. While overall, colon cancer rates have been declining, the draft guidelines issued the Task Force reflect a growing concern about rising rates in people under the age of 50. The task force is a volunteer panel of doctors that regularly reviews evidence and issues advice on medical tests and treatments.

Scientists at ChristianaCare's Helen F Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute have discovered a link between two key signalling pathways crucial to the development and growth of colon cancer. The study, ‘APC mutations in human colon lead to decreased neuroendocrine maturation of ALDH+ stem cells that alters GLP-2 and SST feedback signaling: Clue to a link between WNT and retinoic acid signalling in colon cancer development’, was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Mice fed diets high in sugar developed worse colitis and researchers examining their large intestines found more of the bacteria that can damage the gut's protective mucus layer, according to a study, ‘Dietary simple sugars alter microbial ecology in the gut and promote colitis in mice’, published in Science Translational Medicine.

A non-surgical treatment option for rectal cancer that preserves quality of life is safe for carefully selected patients, according to a study comparing it with the standard operation. The study, ‘Watch-and-Wait Compared to Operation for Patients with Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Rectal Cancer’, were published on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons’ website in advance of print publication and were presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

Researchers from Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), Oklahoma City, OK, have redefined how the so-called gut microbiome operates and how our bodies coexist with some of the 100 trillion bacteria that make it up. The findings, ‘Proximal colon–derived O-glycosylated mucus encapsulates and modulates the microbiota’, were published in the journal Science, and could lead to new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and people who've had portions of their bowels removed due to conditions like colon cancer and ulcerative colitis.

An international team of researchers has identified a direct molecular link between meat and dairy diets and the development of antibodies in the blood that increase the chances of developing cancer. This connection may explain the high incidence of cancer among those who consume large amounts of dairy products and red meat, similar to the link between high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.

Findings from a large international research study has reported that using faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) are almost 100% accurate at ruling out bowel cancer in patients with suspicious symptoms. The outcomes were featured in the paper, ‘Faecal immunochemical test is superior to symptoms in predicting pathology in patients with suspected colorectal cancer symptoms referred on a 2WW pathway: a diagnostic accuracy study’, published in Gut.

Researchers from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, MedUni Vienna's Department of Medicine III, have found that a new, dynamic calculation model helps to improve the diagnosis of interval cancer (colorectal cancer that develops after a screening colonoscopy but before the scheduled follow-up colonoscopy), and also that the quality of endoscopy in Austria adheres to current guidelines. These cancers are probably more frequent than assumed, especially in high-risk patients who have been found to have an initially benign but advanced adenoma.

A new clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) provides guidance for physicians who use radiation therapy to treat patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Recommendations outline indications and best practices for pelvic radiation treatments, as well as the integration of radiation with chemotherapy and surgery for stage II-III disease.

A promising new biomarker that appears in patients before stomach cancer develops may help with early detection of the disease and improve patient response to therapy, according to findings in a study led by University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers. The biomarker can be detected through a simple blood test, saving time and lowering costs. Currently, stomach cancer diagnosis requires endoscopic collection of stomach tissue through a biopsy procedure, and then analysis by pathology.

Asthma and food hypersensitivity at age 12 is associated with an increased risk of having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at 16, a study presented at UEG Week Virtual 2020. The research, conducted at the University of Gothenburg and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, also showed that asthma, food hypersensitivity and eczema were all associated with an increased risk of concurrent IBS at 16 years.

Research has found that young people who experience severe Crohn's and colitis symptoms are more likely to experience poor mental health, and need extra support as a result, according to study researchers, Professor Pam Qualter from The University of Manchester and Professor Bernie Carter from Edge Hill University.

Researchers from Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center who are trying to determine the mechanisms underlying abnormal development of the enteric nervous system in Hirschsprung disease, have reported delineating interactions between migrating neural crest cells and the extracellular matrix in a model of Hirschsprung disease using a variety of in vitro and in vivo approaches.

A rare genetic condition which causes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be successfully treated by bone marrow transplant, according to University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust researchers. The disease, called G6PC3 deficiency, affects around one in a million people and causes inflammation of the bowel, as well as lung infections.

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Leeds, have made a breakthrough in their work to develop semi-autonomous colonoscopy, using a robot to guide a medical device into the body. The milestone brings closer the prospect of an intelligent robotic system being able to guide instruments to precise locations in the body to take biopsies or allow internal tissues to be examined. A doctor or nurse would still be on hand to make clinical decisions but the demanding task of manipulating the device is offloaded to a robotic system.

Delays in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening caused by COVID-19 has resulted in significantly increased death rates for the cancer, according to research presented at UEG Week Virtual 2020. Researchers at the University of Bologna produced a model to forecast the impact of time delays in CRC screening on CRC mortality caused by COVID-19. The results found that moderate (7-12 months) and large (>12 months) delays in screening caused a 3% and 7% increase in advanced stage CRC respectively.

An international group of global experts including anaesthetists, surgeons and other healthcare professionals have come together to publish a consensus statement on the prevention of opioid-related harm in adult surgical patients. The consensus statement, ‘An international multidisciplinary consensus statement on the prevention of opioid‐related harm in adult surgical patients’, was published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists).

Chemotherapy-based cancer treatment has distressing side effects for patients and increases the risk of developing resistance to the treatment. In an attempt to solve these problems, scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have developed a technique for quickly identifying from a large number of existing drugs the optimal synergistic combination and dose of products that can kill the tumour cells without affecting healthy cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world, with more than one and a half million new cases diagnosed annually. Approximately 20% of diagnosed stage II patients experience relapses after surgery. There is no marker yet that identifies stage II patients at risk of relapse. Therefore, it is important to be able to identify prognostic biomarkers for this specific setting.

The consumption of fructose may worsen intestinal inflammation common to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), according to a study, 'Dietary Fructose Alters the Composition, Localization and Metabolism of Gut Microbiota in Association with Worsening Colitis', by Dr David Montrose of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Diet remains an important part of disease prevention and management and a study suggests that consumption of fructose may worsen intestinal inflammation common to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Led by Dr David Montrose, the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, the study, ‘Dietary Fructose Alters the Composition, Localization and Metabolism of Gut Microbiota in Association with Worsening Colitis’, was published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Folate, magnesium, and dairy products may all help stave off bowel cancer, but there's no evidence that garlic or onions, fish, tea or coffee protect against the disease, finds an overarching analysis of published pooled data analyses, ‘Recent advances in clinical practice: Colorectal cancer chemoprevention in the average-risk population’, published in the journal Gut.

A phase 1 clinical trial of sotorasib (AMG 510) in patients with heavily pre-treated advanced solid tumours showed encouraging anti-cancer activity, especially in lung and colorectal cancers, according to a study led by City of Hope and other renowned comprehensive cancer centres. The multisite clinical trial included 129 metastatic cancer patients who had received an average of three prior therapies.

June Medical has launched the eVeck Colposcopy Plume Evacuation Kit for the safe and efficient removal of surgical plume. The single use eVeck Kit comes ready assembled, with an integrated HEPA pre filter, a flexi connector that fits assorted speculum models, and tubing that links to a plume evacuation system and is reinforced to prevent crushing and kinking.

In a large group of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, consumption of a few cups of coffee a day was associated with longer survival and a lower risk of the cancer worsening, according to a study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

A study of almost 400,000 British participants has identified a new link between raised levels of the growth factor IGF-1 and increased thyroid cancer risk and has confirmed associations with breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. The findings could lead to new preventative strategies, including diet and lifestyle interventions.

African American men have the lowest five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer (CRC) and low adherence to recommended early detection screening (colonoscopy and home-based stool testing kits) is a major contributing factor, according to the findings of a study, ‘Interventions for increasing colorectal cancer screening uptake among African-American men: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, published the journal PLOS ONE.

Researchers from the University of South Carolina have shown that treatment with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, prevented the development of colon cancers in mice. It was shown that THC suppressed inflammation in the colon, preventing the onset of cancers caused by a carcinogen.

The Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) has been collaborating with researchers from Singapore since 2010 to develop a flexible endoscopic robotic system. This novel system was specifically designed to enhance the safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. Using the first prototype flexible endoscopic robot, the team at CU Medicine successfully performed ESD for treatment of early gastric cancer in 2011.

A team of scientists has unravelled the molecular mechanism behind one of the causes of colorectal cancer and a treatment target. In an extensive series of experiments, a team of scientists, including Tadasuke Tsukiyama from the Faculty of Medicine at Hokkaido University, has described a molecular mechanism by which mutations at one site in RNF43 cause cancer and have also described a potential method to treat these cancers.

Patients with advanced colorectal polyps are a major risk factor have a three-fold higher risk of developing colorectal cancer and therefor a three-year follow up interval of colonoscopy is generally recommended. Many clinicians rely on self-reports from their high-risk patients about their need and proper interval for repeat surveillance colonoscopy.

The natural botanical Andrographis paniculata, when given in conjunction with chemotherapy, may eventually change the way doctors treat chemotherapy-resistant colorectal cancer, according to a study by City of Hope researchers.

Scientists from the Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China, have discovered a link between androgens and stem cells that could contribute to colon cancer. It is known that colon cancers have a higher incidence in males, which is in part related to much higher androgen levels in males compared to females. Some cancers in the intestine are thought to arise from intestinal epithelial stem cells, which are needed for normal tissue maintenance and regeneration, but which can give rise to cancers when they grow improperly.

A programme that asks patients to mail in stool samples to screen for colon cancer is an effective way to expand screenings to underserved and underinsured communities and offers an alternative to in-person testing during the pandemic, according to a study conducted by UT Southwestern.

City of Hope researchers have reported that Black patients have a low rate of liver resection and this is associated with lower survival among this group of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The study found that they were the least likely to receive chemotherapy (59% compared to 65% among white people) and had a 17% higher chance of death compared to white people, even when the researchers controlled for age, sex and comorbidities.

A drug combination for people with a rare type of bowel cancer has received an initial rejection from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The targeted treatment combination of encorafenib and cetuximab was being considered for patients whose cancer has spread and has a rare error in the BRAF gene, once they have already had chemotherapy.

World-leading figures in coloproctology will come together this September – virtually – for the European Society of Coloproctology’s (ESCP)’s flagship event – the 15th Scientific and Annual Conference. Registration for the event, to be held 100 per cent online for the first time, is now open meaning experts across the global coloproctology industry are able to secure their spaces at for ‘Virtually Vilnius’.

People who consume frozen microbiome capsules derived from their own faeces when dieting may limit their weight regain, according to a study. ‘Effects of Diet-Modulated Autologous Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Weight Regain’, published in Gastroenterology, conducted by a team of researchers led by Israeli researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).

Exero Medical, a developer of a wireless sensor for early detection of anastomotic leaks following gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, has completed the first human implantation of its sensor. The implant procedure was conducted at Rabin Medical Center led by Professor Nir Wasserberg, chairman of the Israel CRS society and director of colorectal division. The study team reported the successful placement of the sensor and data collection during low anterior resection surgery for rectal cancer.

Patients undergoing colon and rectal operations are more likely to experience a postoperative infection if they have low health literacy, which is a limited capacity to understand and act on health information, according to results of a study presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) 2020 Quality and Safety Conference VIRTUAL.

University of Chicago Medicine investigators have found a new way to slow the metastasis of colon cancer by treating it with a small molecule that essentially locks up cancer cells' ability to change shape and move throughout the body.

A University of Waikato study looking at the treatment and timeliness of chemotherapy for bowel cancer patients in New Zealand has found there are inequities in the treatment of Pacific, Māori, and Asian patients. The study, ‘Evidence of inequitable use of chemotherapy in New Zealand colorectal cancer patient’, was published in the New Zealand Medical Journal. The findings will inform the newly-established New Zealand Cancer Control Agency, responsible for delivering equitable and nationally consistent cancer services for all New Zealanders.

Olympus has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Arc Medical Design Limited (Arc Medical Design), a subsidiary of Norgine BV. The acquisition allows Olympus to expand its offering in gastrointestinal therapeutic devices and the development of advanced colonoscopy tools through mergers and acquisitions opportunities, as well as through research and development with the overarching goal of improving early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC).

An enzyme that usually stops bacterial growth in the large intestine stimulates inflammation in some people resulting in ulcerative colitis, according to scientists at Rutgers University-Newark.

Probiotic bacteria could control the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to researchers from the University of Plymouth, UK and the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Slovak Republic. The study, ‘A Novel Lactic Acid Bacteria Mixture: Macrophage-Targeted Prophylactic Intervention in Colorectal Cancer Management’, published in the journal Microorganisms, was led by Dr Andrew Foey (Plymouth) and Dr Vlasta Demeckova (Kosice).

A study from Lund University and Region Skåne in Sweden indicates that potency-enhancing PDE5 inhibitor drugs have an anti-cancer potential with the ability to improve the prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer. PDE5 inhibitors include a few approved drugs in which sildenafil (Viagra) is the most well-known. The study, ‘Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors use and risk for mortality and metastases among male patients with colorectal cancer’, was published in Nature Communications

A team of collaborators from Memorial Sloan Kettering and Weill Cornell Medicine have reported that tiny packages of materials released by tumours, called EVPs (extracellular vesicles and particles), may serve as biomarkers for detecting a number of different types of cancer in the early stages. The findings, ‘Extracellular Vesicle and Particle Biomarkers Define Multiple Human Cancers’, were published in the journal Cell.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and University of Exeter Medical School examined the patient records of 63,973 adults who visited their GP with unexpected weight loss over a two-year period. They then linked these records with a national cancer registry to work out how many went on to be diagnosed with a cancer and what type. It is hoped their findings will help GPs to identify the signs, symptoms and blood test results they should look for to swiftly diagnose cancer in people with unexpected weight loss.

City of Hope surgical researchers are the first in the US to open a clinical trial that could one day become an effective way to deliver chemotherapy to abdominal cancer patients who currently have very few treatment options.

Results from a recent clinical trial indicate that for older adults with advanced cancer, initiating aspirin may increase their risk of disease progression and early death. The study, which was conducted by a binational team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Berman Center in Minnesota, and Monash University in Australia, is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

One in ten people with inflammatory bowel disease visited their doctor with symptoms five years before receiving a diagnosis, according to researchers at St George's, University of London, Imperial College London, University College London and King's College London, UK. The study, ‘Prevalence and duration of gastrointestinal symptoms before diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and predictors of timely specialist review: a population-based study’, was published in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis.

Non-white Americans, especially Asian Americans, are at disproportionately higher risk for gastric cancer compared to non-Hispanic white Americans and this risk is specific ethnicities and locations within the stomach, according to researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.

Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) have biofabricated human colorectal cancer miniature organs, called organoids, to better understand how a tumour grows in its natural microenvironment and its response to therapies. This new study is the first to replicate observations of native tumour tissue in a laboratory model and validate it in the context of the whole-body physiology.

Fewer people would die of colorectal cancer if health care providers adopted a new model of screening that combines better risk assessment, more options for noninvasive testing and more targeted referrals for colonoscopy, according to an American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)  paper, ‘AGA White Paper: Roadmap for the Future of Colorectal Cancer Screening in the United States’, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

A team led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the la Caixa Foundation, has conducted the first study assessing the association between night-time exposure to outdoor artificial light and colorectal cancer (CRC). The findings, ‘Association between outdoor light-at-night exposure and colorectal cancer in Spain (MCC-Spain study)’, published in the journal Epidemiology, show that exposure to the blue light spectrum may increase the risk of CRC.

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School have found DNA mutations in some cancers that link them to a bacterial toxin called colibactin. Their findings, ‘Characterization of colibactin-associated mutational signature in an Asian oral squamous cell carcinoma and in other mucosal tumor types’, published in Gastroenterology and Genome Research, improve understanding of how some cancers develop, and could help in their prevention.

Although rates of surgery for Crohn's disease have decreased over the years, many patients still require surgical treatment - due to inadequate responses to medical therapy, severe attacks of acute colitis, and many other situations. Developed by the ASCRS Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee, the revised recommendations reflect the latest research evidence and clinical practice.

Virginia Tech researchers have discovered that common bacteria can leave the mouth and potentially cause existing cancer cells in other parts of the body to spread. These bacteria are believed to predominantly travel through the blood to different sites in the body where they are associated with serious infections of the brain, liver and heart; preterm birth in pregnant women; and are present in high levels in colon tumours. Poor oral hygiene could cause the bacteria to migrate to other parts of the body where cancers exist.

Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Cambridge University Hospitals have found that the rate of DNA change within colon cells affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was more than double that in healthy colon, increasing the likelihood of these cells gaining DNA changes that could lead to cancer.

Mortality rates for complex cancer procedures differ greatly between one-star hospitals (10.4%) and five-star hospitals (6.4%), according to researchers from Yale School of Medicine. The safety of complex cancer surgeries varies widely across hospitals in the United States, with as much as a four-fold difference in hospital mortality rates, volume of patients, hospital experience, and surgeon training.

Mailing colorectal cancer screening kits to Medicaid enrolees is a cost-effective way to boost screening rates, according to a study, ‘Comparative cost-effectiveness of mailed fecal immunochemical testing (FIT)-based interventions for increasing colorectal cancer screening in the Medicaid population’, published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

A new study by researchers at the University of Kentucky identifies a novel function of the enzyme spermine synthase (SMS) to facilitate colorectal cancer growth. SMS is an enzyme that produces spermine from spermidine, which has been shown to be important for cell growth. However, excessive accumulation of spermidine can have harmful effects on cell viability.

The is some moderate evidence suggesting that delayed resection of colorectal cancer worsens survival and during the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritisation of procedures should account for available evidence on time to surgery and oncologic outcomes.

The FDA has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer. Approval was based on KEYNOTE‑177, a multicentre, international, open-label, active-controlled, randomized trial that enrolled 307 patients with previously untreated, unresectable or metastatic MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer.

Researchers from the Netherland have begun a clinical trial to investigate the effect of lower insufflation pressures facilitated by deep neuromuscular blockade (DNB) on patient outcomes after laparoscopic colorectal procedures. Specifically, the study will identify whether low pressure pneumoperitoneum (PNP) and DNB enhances recovery after colorectal laparoscopic surgery and whether this could be a valuable addition to the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines.

The likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced cancer decreased among individuals with low income after expansion of Medicaid coverage, according to researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine's Center for Community Health Integration in Cleveland, OH.

Medications commonly prescribed to treat hypertension may also reduce patients' colorectal cancer risk, according to researchers from University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China, Based on the findings of this large study, taking these medications may also reduce colorectal cancer risk, the third most common cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide.

An intelligent recognition method has been developed and firstly applied to achieve automatic lymph node (LN) detection and segmentation (auto-LNDS) of rectal cancer patients before surgery. This development was achieved by Gao Xin's research team from the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIBET, CAS), in collaboration with MENG Xiaochun from Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat Sen University, and other three 3A hospitals spread across different regions in China.

A multi-centre study comparing a new cartridge-based laboratory testing device called the Idylla automated system (Biocartis) to current standard-of-care testing methods, has reported that average turnaround time for test results could be cut by more than 65% from 15 days to five days, with some results available in a single day.

Patients aged 75 years and older appeared to have a higher risk of post-colonoscopy complications during the 30-day period after colonoscopy compared with screen-eligible patients and the decision to perform colonoscopy should be considered carefully in older patients, particularly in the presence of comorbidities, according to researchers from University of Toronto, Toronto and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

A study by researcher at the University of Utah has found many new diagnoses of colorectal cancer are occurring in counties in the lower Mississippi Delta, west-central Appalachia and eastern Virginia/North Carolina. These ‘hotspot’ areas - where colorectal cancer is on the rise and actually killing young men at high rates - revealed several trends about who these men are and how their cancer progresses.

Scientists at City of Hope, working in collaboration with researchers at Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and other colleagues across the US, have found that the actions of circulating immune cells - namely how they differentiate and signal - at the start of immunotherapy treatment for cancer can inform how a patient will respond to the therapy.

A research team from the Prodi Centre for Protein Diagnostics at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), Germany, has used infrared (IR) microscopes based on quantum cascade lasers to classify tissue samples of colorectal cancer from routine clinical operations in a marker-free and automated way. Artificial intelligence enabled the researchers to differentiate between different tumour types with great accuracy within approximately 30 minutes. Based on the classification, doctors can predict which course the disease will take and, consequently, choose the appropriate therapy.

biolitec is now offering the ‘Biolitec Proctology’ app for proctologists in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, which includes information on studies, videos, trade fairs and workshops. In addition to news on anal fistula, coccyx fistula and haemorrhoid treatment and direct contact with the company and the regional sales force, it is also possible to exchange experiences with other proctologists.

After reviewing Cardiff Oncology’s request for Fast Track designation for onvansertib, in combination with FOLFIRI/bevacizumab, for second-line treatment of patients with KRAS-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), the FDA has agreed the therapy meets the criteria for a Fast Track development programme.

A MedUni Vienna study group has identified a previously unknown mechanism involved in the development of intestinal cancer: a bacterial microbiome that activates the so-called immune checkpoint Ido1 in Paneth cells, a special cell that is only found in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby preventing local intestinal inflammation. However, this also gives rise to immunosuppressed areas, in which intestinal tumours can develop. The Paneth cells are therefore a new cellular target for immune-based therapies against intestinal tumours.

Bacainn Therapeutics has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial, of BT051, a first-in-class approach to modulating the migration and activation of specific innate immune cells (neutrophils) and is being developed to treat various acute medical conditions including ulcerative colitis. The Phase 1 clinical trial is evaluating various dose levels of BT051 for safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. Patient dosing expected in the coming months.

A new method of screening thousands of drugs in freshly collected human tumour cells can help identify which of the drugs are most likely to be effective against those cancers, according to researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

A collaborative study by research groups from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research and Ghent University has uncovered a new mechanism causing colorectal cancer. The researchers found that abnormal expression of the protein Zeb2 affects the integrity of the intestinal wall or 'epithelium.' This epithelium normally functions as a barrier to prevent infiltration by intestinal microbes. The findings were outlined in the study, ‘Zeb2 drives invasive and microbiota-dependent colon carcinoma’, published in Nature Cancer.

A collaborative study from the U-M Medical and Dental Schools reveals that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which included Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and afflicts an estimated 3 million adults in the US, may be the latest condition made worse by poor oral health.

A regular dose of aspirin to reduce the risk of inherited bowel cancer lasts at least ten years after stopping treatment, according to the results from the ‘Cancer prevention with aspirin in hereditary colorectal cancer international trial (CAPP2)’ international trial. The research involved patients with Lynch syndrome from around the world and revealed that two aspirins a day, for an average of two and a half years, reduced the rate of bowel cancer by half.

A good vitamin D status is beneficial both in cancer prevention and in the prognosis of several cancers and the anti-cancer effects of vitamin D are especially pronounced in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer and blood cancers. In addition, high vitamin D responsiveness can be linked to a smaller cancer risk. Vitamin D responsiveness varies between individuals, affecting their need for vitamin D supplementation.

A large international trial involving UCL and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) has found that pembrolizumab, a form of immunotherapy, more than doubled the 'progression free survival' time of patients with a specific subtype of advanced bowel cancer, when compared with chemotherapy.

A study led by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers showed that patients who already used opioids, sedatives or antidepressants prior to colorectal surgery experience significantly more complications post-surgery.

A study in mice by UC San Francisco researchers has found that, depending on a cancer's tissue of origin, tumours cause widespread and variable disruption of the immune system throughout the body, not just at the primary tumour site.

Among patients with both colorectal cancer and diabetes in Korea, those who had a high adherence to their oral diabetes medication had a significantly reduced risk of overall mortality compared with those with lower adherence, according to a study, ‘Prognosis of Patients with Colorectal Cancer with Diabetes According to Medication Adherence: A Population-Based Cohort Study’, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Researchers from University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center study have reported that many Kentucky patients with colon cancer are not receiving the recommended standard of care therapy for their disease. Their findings, ‘Nonadherence to Standard of Care for Locally Advanced Colon Cancer as a Contributory Factor for High Mortality Rates in Kentucky’, were published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

A study that analysed data from the National Health Interview Survey 2015 to determine the food intake and frequency of consumption for US adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), has revealed that foods typically labelled as junk foods (French fries, cheese, cookies, soda, and sports and energy drinks) were associated with IBD, according to researchers  from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

Researchers at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a target for colorectal cancer immunotherapy. The findings, ‘ST2 as checkpoint target for colorectal cancer immunotherapy’, published in JCI Insight, could provide additional treatments for a larger number of colorectal cancer patients via a new immunotherapy pathway. Researchers identified ST2 as a novel checkpoint molecule that could help T cells become more effective.

A research group at The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (IMSUT), has developed a new simulation model that describes various modes of cancer evolution in a unified manner. The findings were published in the paper, ' unified simulation model for understanding the diversity of cancer evolution,' in the journal PeerJ.

People with cancer who develop COVID-19 are much more likely to die from the disease than those without cancer, according to physician-researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA. The study, The paper, ‘Case Fatality Rate of Cancer Patients with COVID-19 in a New York Hospital System’, published in Cancer Discovery, is the largest so far to assess outcomes for patients with cancer who have also been infected with COVID-19.

The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) has published an updated set of evidence-based recommendations for the medical and surgical treatment of left-sided colonic diverticulitis, reflecting research-driven changes in clinical practice. The guidelines, ‘The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Left-Sided Colonic Diverticulitis’, published in Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, were developed by a panel of the ASCRS Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee.

Research conducted by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney reveals a quarter of Australians with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have used cannabis, predominantly from illicit sources, to manage their condition. They reported improvements in symptoms and reduced use of prescription medication.

Researchers from the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterda, and Maastricht University in the Netherlands have found that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, can infect cells of the intestine and multiply there.

An artificial intelligence (AI) model for automated classification of colorectal polyps could benefit cancer screening programs by improving efficiency, reproducibility, and accuracy, as well as reducing access barriers to pathological services, according to a study by researchers from Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center.

The European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) is joining forces with the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) to endorse their joint recommendations on the appropriate surgical response to the COVID-19 crisis.

New research due to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, showed a link between blood infections with certain anaerobic bacteria and the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC).

Caris Life Sciences has launched the MI FOLFOXai, the newest addition to the company's suite of comprehensive molecular science offerings. MI FOLFOXai is an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based predictor of response to FOLFOX chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer that demonstrated approximately 50 percent improvement in overall survival across two independent validation studies.

In an analysis that included information on adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 40 and 49 years of age, almost all patients could have been diagnosed earlier if they had been screened according to current family history-based screening guidelines. The findings are published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Aspirin is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing several cancers of the digestive tract, including some that are almost invariably fatal, such as pancreatic and liver cancers, according to a study, ‘Aspirin and the risk of colorectal and other digestive tract cancers: an updated meta-analysis through 2019’, published in the Annals of Oncology.

Patients with colon cancer but without distant metastases can benefit from a short course of immunotherapy while waiting for their surgery, as it can cause tumours to shrink substantially or clear up in a very short time, according to the finding of a NICHE study by the Netherlands Cancer Institute, an innovatory phase II clinical trial.

Using a modified natural substance along with current approaches could improve colon cancer treatment, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine biologists. The discovery comes from their research into the role of an amino acid in tumour development and a potential method for reversing the process. The paper, ‘{{α-Ketoglutarate attenuates Wnt signaling and drives differentiation in colorectal cancer}}’, was published in Nature Cancer.

Scientists at Yale and collaborators in Greece have identified a tightly sequestered group of stem cells within the intestine as suspects in the development of colon cancer and report that unprepossessing neighbours of stem cells actually harbour a molecular villain that can jump-start cancers of the colon.

The intestinal microbiota, composed of the microorganisms that live in our intestines, can give us information about our health, since its composition may depend on factors such as the diet, lifestyle or our pathologies. Moreover, knowing what specific bacteria are in our intestines could help to predict diseases like colon cancer. New advances in genome sequencing methods, and bioinformatics tools that allow us to analyze the data, have helped us to identify thousands of new microorganisms present in our intestines through the analysis of their genome.

As patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) flood hospitals, the health care system must not only determine how to redeploy limited resources and staff to care for them but must also make well-calculated decisions to provide other types of critical care. For surgeons, this type of critical care involves performing an emergency operation to treat a ruptured appendix or perforated colon, to both virus-exposed and non-exposed patients, while keeping both hospital personnel and non-exposed patients safe.