Immunosuppression Increases Risk of HPV-related Cancers in AIDS Patients 08/20/2009
The risk of HPV-related cancers is elevated among AIDS patients. This risk continues to increase as patients’ immune systems become more compromised, according to the results of a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.[1] Human papillomaviruses (HPV) consist of more than 100 different viruses. Some types ...

New Colorectal Cancer Test Offers Hope for Early Detection 03/04/2002
According to a report in the November issue of the journal Gastroenterology, early detection of colorectal cancer and precancerous tumors may be possible with a new screening test that involves looking for abnormal DNA in stool samples. When detected early, colorectal cancer is a highly curable disease. Colorectal cancer ...

Surgical Salvage Therapy is Effective Treatment for Patients with Rectal Cancer that Relapse Locally after Initial Sphincter-Conserving Treatment 02/05/2002
The standard of care for most patients with anal cancer is now initial treatment with radiation or chemoradiotherapy, with the aim of preserving the anus and allowing sphincter function. With this approach, approximately 60-90% of patients can expect to have the cancer eradicated. The majority of these patients ...

Intensive Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Combo May Improve Outcomes for Persons with Cancer of the Anus 02/05/2002
Persons who have cancers of the anus that have spread to the nearby lymph nodes or are large in size may require more aggressive therapy than individuals with smaller cancers. Now, researchers say that chemotherapy with fluorouracil and cisplatin, followed by a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy ...

Treatment of Anal Cancer: Protective Drug, Called Amifostine, Reduces the Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy 02/04/2002
The side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy as treatment for anal cancer may be reduced with the use of a drug called amifostine, according to new research findings by German doctors. Cancer of the anus, the opening at the end of the rectum, is an uncommon cancer. Depending ...