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