PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Screening new colon cancer patients for Lynch syndrome would be cost-effective, study shows

2011-07-19
(Press-News.org) STANFORD, Calif. — Screening every new colon cancer patient for a particular familial disorder extends lives at a reasonable cost, say Stanford University School of Medicine researchers. The team hopes the results will encourage more medical centers to adopt widespread screening policies.

Approximately 3 to 5 percent of colorectal tumors are caused by a heritable condition called Lynch syndrome, which greatly increases the odds of colon and other cancers in a person's lifetime. Siblings and children of someone with Lynch syndrome each have a 50 percent chance of carrying the mutation, so the first diagnosis in a family reveals the risk for many relatives. But the discovery can save lives.

"This is a situation where, if you find out genetic information, you can improve your outcome," said Uri Ladabaum, MD, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology, and lead author of the study. Lynch syndrome patients can take defensive steps (such as yearly colonoscopies) that can either prevent cancer or alert them to get cancer treatment early, when it has the best chance of working. Stanford and several other U.S. medical centers now test all colon tumors to identify families with the genetic disorder, but in an era of shrinking wallets and booming health-care costs, some may wonder whether these policies are worth it.

"We were interested in whether it would be cost-effective to test a lot of colon tumors to find the few that are due to Lynch syndrome and, if so, what would be the most cost-effective strategy," said Ladabaum. He and his colleagues used computer simulations to compare the years of lives gained and the money spent if all new cases of colorectal cancer were tested for Lynch syndrome. They found that such screening programs can reduce cancer deaths at a price within the typical range of U.S. health-care costs. The study will be published in the July 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Prior to the availability of genetic testing, Lynch syndrome was identified by sharp-eyed genetic counselors and physicians who noticed the high frequency of cancers in certain families. But this method isn't foolproof, especially if a patient doesn't know his or her family history. "We think there are other families out there that have a predisposition for cancers," said co-author James Ford, MD, associate professor of oncology, of genetics and of pediatrics. "The initial small investment of doing the screen is ultimately going to pay off in terms of costs to society as well as in saving lives."

An average person's lifetime risk of developing colon cancer is around 5 percent. For a person with Lynch syndrome, that risk grows to 70 percent or more. Lynch syndrome also raises the risk of other cancers, including uterine and ovarian cancer. Female patients with the disorder who get regular tumor checks and who choose to have preventative hysterectomies would benefit most from widespread screening of colon tumors, according to the study.

Lynch syndrome is caused by mutations in a set of genes that normally run quality control on the DNA of cells. The loss of a molecular DNA inspector predisposes Lynch syndrome patients to tumor growth. Pathologists can look for unusual patterns in the DNA of tumor cells that hint at the diminished quality control or they can take a more direct look to see which, if any, inspector is missing. Each method has its own level of accuracy as well as its own cost. Once a pathologist identifies a tumor that might be caused by the disorder, more tests are needed to confirm the suspicion and to determine the particular mutation being carried in the patient.

The researchers used existing health statistics to simulate colon cancer patients of varying ages and family sizes. They incorporated known rates of Lynch syndrome and the associated odds of developing future colon, uterine and ovarian cancers. They then tested different scenarios of tumor screening and patient decisions, including whether patients alerted their family members and if those family members also got tested. The team then examined whether the costs fell within or below $50,000 to $100,000 per year of life gained, a typical range for the modern U.S. health-care system.

The most cost-effective method involved checking whether tumors were missing any molecular quality inspectors, followed by DNA sequencing of the suspected gene. But no matter which testing methods were used, it was most important to test multiple family members after the initial diagnosis. Pathologists use several tests to identify the specific mutation in the first family member, but that only needs to be done once. Subsequent diagnoses in relatives are much simpler. The researchers found that three or four family members needed to be tested and then follow recommended preventive measures for the process to have a reasonable price tag. "All these interventions are more likely to be cost-effective if you can spread the benefit across more relatives," said Ladabaum.

Family involvement can vary greatly among patients, in part because families differ in size and because patients have a wide range of responses to learning about the genetic disorder. "Families are complicated," said Nicolette Chun, a genetics counselor at Stanford who was not involved with the study. "Some patients spread the news far and wide to several family members. Others don't cope with the information well and aren't proactive."

The study suggests that more medical centers could adopt tumor-screening policies like Stanford's. "A systematic approach to identify families with Lynch syndrome makes sense clinically, because it can save lives, and economically, because its costs are comparable to other things we choose to spend our health-care dollars on," said Ladabaum. "We advocate establishing similar tumor-screening systems on a national level."

###

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. The Stanford team collaborated with researchers at the University of California-San Francisco, Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

More information about Stanford's Department of Medicine, which also supported the research, is available at http://medicine.stanford.edu.

The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.

PRINT MEDIA CONTACT: Krista Conger at (650) 725-5371(kristac@stanford.edu)
BROADCAST MEDIA CONTACT: M.A. Malone at (650) 723-6912 (mamalone@stanford.edu)

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New study details the path to success for social investing

2011-07-19
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 18, 2011 — A new study by researchers at Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology, and Society sheds light on the current investment methods and profit expectations of 45 "impact investors," who invest in social-entrepreneur ventures around the world. The study aims to be a first step toward creating a more coordinated, venture-capital-style system for such social-venture startups. The study, Coordinating Impact Capital, A New Approach to Investing in Small and Growing Businesses, will be unveiled at an event July 26 from 4 to ...

'IDOLizing' low cholesterol

2011-07-19
High levels of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) are a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) — a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. Although the use of statins and the adoption of lifestyle changes to reduce LDL cholesterol levels have decreased the incidence of and mortality from ASCVD, many individuals fail to reach target levels of LDL cholesterol. Researchers are therefore seeking new targets for LDL cholesterol–lowering therapeutics. Human genetic and mechanistic ...

JCI online early table of contents: July 18, 2011

2011-07-19
EDITOR'S PICK: IDOLizing low cholesterol High levels of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) are a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) — a disease of the major arterial blood vessels that is one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke. Although the use of statins and the adoption of lifestyle changes to reduce LDL cholesterol levels have decreased the incidence of and mortality from ASCVD, many individuals fail to reach target levels of LDL cholesterol. Researchers are therefore seeking new targets for LDL cholesterol–lowering ...

Charitable contributions to Melbourne's Cancer Research Centre have a wide reach

2011-07-19
Melbourne based, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is Australia's only public hospital solely dedicated to cancer. A world leader in cancer treatment, research and education, charitable donations to the Foundation support promising new cancer initiatives and help attract world-leading clinicians and scientists. Discussing the new partnership and why PeterMacCallum was chosen, Kris Satish, CEO at Vectron said: "We're extremely pleased to be an official partner of such a fantastic and worthy organization. By contributing to medical research, we can play our part ...

Married men seek treatment sooner for heart attacks

2011-07-19
Men who are married or in common-law relationships seek medical care sooner for heart attacks compared with single, divorced or widowed men, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj110170.pdf. The benefits of marriage on health, particularly for men, have long been known. Fast, effective treatment for heart attacks is available and emergency department delays have been significantly reduced over the last few decades. However, patient delays in seeking treatment for chest pain have not ...

Callbox Goes Top 10 in the Recent Top 50 Inbound Teleservices Agencies Ranking

2011-07-19
After scoring high in the outbound category, Callbox keeps the momentum by winning one more award in the inbound level, marking its first entry in the roster as a Top 10 Inbound Service Partner in the recent Customer Interaction Solutions Magazine's Top 50 Teleservices Agencies Ranking. Callbox was ranked 7th in the US domestic category among other top inbound performers. Rankings were determined by editors of CIS Magazine based on autonomously verified documents issued by each agency's telecom service carrier, indicating the number of billable teleservices minutes it ...

Personalized medicine

2011-07-19
Although personalized medicine is a term used in science and medicine that holds significant promise of improved treatment, it may set up unrealistic expectations in patients, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj110607.pdf. The mapping of the human genome was a major scientific milestone that has opened the door to new approaches to understand and treat disease. Cancer and cardiovascular disease are two areas in which genomics are showing promise for treatment advances, although ...

Penn study finds a genetic basis for muscle endurance in animal study

Penn study finds a genetic basis for muscle endurance in animal study
2011-07-19
PHILADELPHIA – Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a gene for endurance, or more precisely, a negative regulator of it. Not having the gene relates to greater endurance in the knockout mice that were studied. The investigators also showed that the gene is linked to Olympic-level athletes in endurance sports such as swimming compared to athletes in sprint sports such as the 100-meter dash. The study appears online this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The work has implications for improving muscle ...

Wellness, Wholeness & Wisdom Radio Host, Psychologist Parthenia Izzard, CNHP, and Dr. Paris, author of Regaining Wholeness through the Subtle Dimensions, talk about losing Dr. Frank Wyatt.

2011-07-19
Every Tuesday evening at 7:03 PM eastern time, you can listen to Wellness, Wholeness & Wisdom radio with host Psychologist Parthenia Izzard, CNHP. The program is archived within minutes of the live broadcast on the internet and rebroadcast Saturday mornings at 9:03 AM eastern time. On your computer go to http://www.amtherapies.com and click on the Radio link to listen to the show live online or on your phone! Program topics range from authors like Bishop Jordan, James Redfield, Immaculee Ilibagiza, and William Tiller to owners of products like Rishi Teas, and Dr. Kracker. ...

PhotoMFA.com and OldSchoolPhotoLab.com Announce Photography Contest: Prize to Be Awarded to Best 'Old-School' Image

2011-07-19
There is a widespread return to film, in photography; photographers are rediscovering in 'analog' the control and expression that drew them to photography in the first place. Indeed, film photography is part of a broader movement rebelling against the constant updates and impersonal perfection of current technology—compare, for instance, the rebirth of the typewriter and persistent interest in vinyl records. To celebrate the renaissance of film photography and the move 'back to the future,' PhotoMFA.com and OldSchoolPhotoLab.com are co-sponsoring a photography contest, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

Targeting FGFR2 may prevent or delay some KRAS-mutated pancreatic cancers

[Press-News.org] Screening new colon cancer patients for Lynch syndrome would be cost-effective, study shows