CAROLINA REGIONAL CANCER CENTER ANNOUNCES PILOT PROGRAM FOR ADAPTIVE TREATMENT PLANNING TO FURTHER EXPAND THE BENEFITS OF ITS TOMOTHERAPY HI•ART TREATMENT SYSTEM

Carolina Regional Cancer Center (CRCC), an affiliate of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, has initiated a Pilot Program to study the benefits of Adaptive Treatment Planning utilizing the TomoTherapy® Hi•Art® Treatment System, one of the most effective forms of radiation treatment available.  Adaptive tr... [read more]

CAROLINA REGIONAL CANCER CENTER WELCOMES NEWS AS AFFILIATE, MUSC HOLLINGS CANCER CENTER, RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION BY NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

Carolina Regional Cancer Center (CRCC), affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center (HCC), announced today that HCC recently received designation by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as one of the top cancer research centers in the country. HCC is one of only 64 other can... [read more]

Colon & Rectal Cancer Overview

By Dr. Steve Bass, M.D., F.A.C.R

Large bowel cancer will affect approximately 180,000 persons in the United States this year. It will cause about 64,000 deaths. The rate or incidence of large bowel cancer in men and women is approximately equal. The risk of large bowel cancer is increased in patients who have what are called inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or regional enteritis.

Carcinoma of the large bowel is also increased in patients who have syndromes in which polyps are found in the bowel. In the first half of the 20th century, most large bowel tumors were found in the area of the rectum and the sigmoid colon, which are the lower portions of the large bowel on the left side of the abdomen. Over the last 30 to 50 years, more cancers have been found in the right side of the colon.

This has probably been due to better surveillance of patients with a history of colon cancer or a family history of colon cancer. This allows for the earlier discovery of polyps which are known to be precancerous lesions. The removal of such polyps can therefore decrease the risk of cancer in the large bowel.

Evidence seems to indicate that the intake of fiber in the diet will have a preventive role with regard to large bowel cancer. There is a low incidence of bowel cancer in countries where dietary fiber makes up a large part of the patient's daily food intake. There is also a strong correlation between the amount of fat in the diet and the incidence of colon cancer.

Some of the preventive measures which can be taken are routine surveillance colonoscopy after the age of 50, especially in those patients with a strong family history of colon or rectal cancer, and in those patients in whom a polyp has been found on a previous examination. Also, the intake of dietary fiber, the use of selenium additives and the intake of aspirin have all been associated with decreased risks of polyps and bowel cancer.