Further Discussion and Weblinks
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Chemotherapy Concerns
For information on 5-FU chemotherapy and potential concerns with DPD deficiency click here.
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Hypothermia Therapy
Hyperthermia therapy is an experimental treatment that involves cytoreductive surgery, in which the surgeon tries to remove as much visible tumor as possible, followed by heated intraperitoneal chemo (infused directly into abdomen after surgery). The higher temperature is thought to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy, and increases the blood flow carrying the drug into the tumor tissue. A few clinical trials have shown a benefit when hyperthermia was added to chemotherapy.
For additional information regarding hyperthermia, click on the links below:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/suthercon/periton.htm
http://hyperthermia.mc.duke.edu/
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Follow-up or Surveillance Biopsies After Radiation
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SPECIAL CAUTION FOR ANAL AND RECTAL CANCER PATIENTS: If you have had radiation for anal or rectal cancer do not allow a new biopsy of the anus or rectum without extreme caution. This usually results in a wound that never heals and the loss of the anus as a result. Additionally, any pelvic surgery should possibly be avoided for the similar reasons.
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| AS WITH ANYTHING YOU SEE OR READ ON THIS SITE, CONSULT WITH A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL - THIS INFORMATION IS NOT TO BE USED FOR DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT |
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Websites with Treatment Information
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Borland-Grover Articles
Treatment: Virtual Colonoscopy
Virtual colonoscopy (or CT colonography) is an x-ray technique using high-speed CT scanning and complex software to obtain a two dimensional image of the colon. Colonoscopy involves the direct visualization of the surface of the colon using high-resolution video equipment.
Website: http://www.borland-groover.com/virtualcolonoscopy.htm
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Cancer Vaccine Program
Treatment: Cancer Vaccine
The program is grounded on a wonderfully simple concept -- using the human immune system to fight cancer. Healthcare Professionals call this field cancer immunotherapy, and the Aventis Pasteur Cancer Vaccine Program, led by Aventis Pasteur in Canada, draws directly from some of the world’s leading experts in the field.
Website: http://www.cancervaccines.com
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Dr. David Nielson, MD, FACS- RAF Site
Treatment: Radio Frequency Ablation
RFA is the use of high-frequency electrical current to heat a specific volume of tissue to temperatures high enough to cause destruction of undesired malignant cells. RFA is a very potent and precise technique to obliterate soft tissue tumors while minimizing damage of surrounding tissue.
Website: http://www.rfalung.com/
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Duke University Medical Center
Treatment: Radiofrequency (RF) Ablation
Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a new technique for treating tumors localized to certain organs such as the liver, kidney and, adrenal glands. With this technique relatively small probes are placed into the tumor and RF energy deposited. The RF energy causes the tissue around the tip of the probe to heat up to a high temperature above which cells break apart and die. Since RF kills tumor and non-tumor cells, the goal is to place the probes so that they destroy all of the tumor plus an adequate "rim" of non-tumorous tissue around it.
Website: http://www.radweb.mc.duke.edu/info/rfa.htm
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John's Hopkin's University
Treatment: Brain Metastasis Radiosurgery
Colon cancer frequently metastasizes to the brain. Colon cancer brain metastases respond well to the large fractional doses of radiation (radiosurgery). Colon cancer radiosurgery can be performed on an outpatient basis with high rates of success and low morbidity (side effects). The results of colon cancer radiosurgery for brain metastasis / metastases are very promising with control rates of 80% to 90%.
Website: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/radiosurgery/
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MD Anderson Cancer Center
Treatment: Hepatic Colorectal Metastasis
Over the past decade there has been an increasing acceptance of liver resection as the best treatment for hepatic colorectal metastases. Liver resection is now a well-controlled procedure and several centers have recently shown that mortality for resection of hepatic colorectal metastases is now approaching zero. Major centers and multi-institutional series have retrospectively reported their survival on hepatic resection for colorectal metastases and the natural history of unresected hepatic colorectal metastases.
Website: http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/ltsg/
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NOMOS Corporation
Treatment: Intensity Modulation Radiation Therapy
Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a revolutionary type of external beam treatment that is able to conform radiation to the size, shape and location of a tumor.
Website: http://www.nasmedical.com/page?id=1442
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SIRTeX Medical Limited
Treatment: Selective Internal Radiation Therapy
SIR-Spheres® is a new and innovative product for the treatment of liver cancer. SIR-Spheres® have been designed to treat patients with liver cancer when it is not possible to surgically remove the cancer. SIR-Spheres® consist of specially designed spherical microspheres which contain a radioactive element called Yttrium-90. The microspheres are very small, about one-third the diameter of a strand of hair.
Website: http://www.sirtex.com/
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Targeted Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Treatment: GCC-B1 Blood Test
"GCC-B1 is a molecular assay which detects the presence of Guanylyl Cyclase C messenger RNA in blood. This protein is uniquely expressed by colorectal cancer cells found outside the intestine. Detection of the presence of this marker in the blood is indicative of recurrent metastatic colorectal disease." The name of the test is GCC-B1 Blood test. It is $495 and can be ordered by calling 1-800-431-0689.
Website: http://www.tdtinc.com/
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Varian Medical Systems
St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center
Treatment: Respiratory Gating
Respiratory gating is a high-resolution conformal radiation therapy demands that you accurately localize the tumor and define the tumor contour. You can then maximize the dose to the tumor while minimizing the dose to the surrounding healthy tissue. Unfortunately, physiological functions, such as normal respiration, can change the tumor position during treatment, requiring you to use a larger treatment volume to compensate for tumor movement.
Varian's Website: http://www.varian.com/orad/upg116.html
St. Vincent's Website: http://www.svccc.com/services/treatment_options_external.php
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Article
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Oxaliplatin available in limited amounts now, more in near future entire
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May 23, 2002, Marganne Meyer -- Patients being treated for advanced metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer received a major break last week when the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Synthelabo committed to making the cancer drug oxaliplatin more available through an expanded access program.
Preliminary results of clinical trials show a combination of oxaliplatin with other chemotherapy drugs, known as FOLFOX4, makes a substantial difference in successfully extending the lives of many people with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer.Click here for the rest of the article.
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Treatment Options Overview
Complications and Side Effects
Complementary and Alternative Treatments
Tools For You
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