New advancements in colon cancer can help retirement living seniors


As retirement living seniors get older, screening for certain cancers often becomes routine. And while colon cancer remains a serious threat to the health of the elder population, early detection can offer a better prognosis.


In recent years there have been further strides in the treatment of colon cancer that often prevent patiens from having to undergo chemotherapy treatments.


New advancements in colon cancer can help retirement living seniors According to the journal Nature, a team of scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has made great advancements with a powerful two-drug regimen.


"This combination can be given short term and periodically to provide a long-term effect, which would be a new approach to chemoprevention," said Xiangwei Wu, PhD associate professor in MD Anderson's Department of Head and Neck Surgery.


The researchers discovered that a drug medley of Vitamin A acetate (RAc) and TRAIL - which is short for tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand - has the ability to kill precancerous polyps and inhibit tumor growth.


According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer that is treated early has a 90 percent five-year survival rate. Retirement living seniors should consider these findings as motivation to be screened annually for certain diseases.


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