This article presents results of recent studies concerning the interplay between the body's chemistry and behavioral factors that influence colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence.
Recent advances in CRC treatment have produced new and promising biological treatments. However, tumors sometimes have unique features that render many of these therapies ineffective.
Nowadays, CRC which is confined to the colon and regional lymph nodes is highly curable with a combination of local (surgery and radiation) and systemic therapies (e.g. chemotherapy). Among patients with stage III colon cancer, approximately 70% can be cured with surgery followed by adjuvant (post-operative, or complementary) chemotherapy, based on agents such as Oxaliplatin and 5-FU.
However, for those cases in which cancer progresses despite these treatments, addition of biological drugs, such as Avastin and Erbitux, has been researched, with disappointing results. Further studies that look beyond the traditional treatment approaches are yet in need.
Today it is possible to create profiles of individual tumors via genetic testing, thereby tailoring the adjuvant therapy to each patient. However, this brings new challenges into clinical practice due to the need to incorporate into decision making both complex genetic data and various other parameters.
The main focus of this article is the association between food consumption and clinical outcomes of CRC.
All cells, including cancer cells, need sugar (glucose) in order to generate energy. Recent research has found that increased glucose consumption, from foods rich in carbohydrates (sugars), leads to a higher risk of CRC recurrence after treatment.
Research showed that cancer cells process sugar less efficiently than normal cells. This suggests that they need more glucose in order to survive and multiply. Cancer progression may influence the body into absorbing glucose faster than usual by inducing genetic mutations in genes responsible for regulating sugar intake, such as KRAS and BRAF. Such mutations, associated with diets rich in carbohydrates, may accelerate cancer progression. The persistence of these changes after cancer treatment may also explain why cancer survivors are more prone to becoming overweight or obese. Additionally, it has been reported that the consumption of red meat, processed meat, refined grains and sugary deserts is associated with CRC recurrence and lower survival rates.
Based on these data, the American Cancer Society strongly recommends maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet in order to help prevent cancer recurrences.
Published By :
Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI)
Date :
Nov 07, 2012
