Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/896170
A S T U DY O F more than 800 patients who had stage 3 colon cancer found that those who ate two or more servings of tree nuts per week had about half the risk of colon cancer death or recurrence as patients who did not eat tree nuts. The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study builds on previous research that suggested health benefi ts from nut consumption. "[O]bservational studies indi- cate that increasing nut intake is associated with lower risk of T2D, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance," the authors note. In the current study, the association was limited to patients who consumed tree nuts, such as almonds, pecans and walnuts. "[O]ur study is an important contribution to the idea that modifying diet and physical activity can be benefi cial" to patients with advanced disease, lead author Temidayo Fadelu, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, stated in a news release. ■ — Steve Barrett M E D I C A L A N D S U R G I C A L technology company Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA) is broadening its partner- ship with the Colon Cancer Coalition to increase the nationwide colon cancer screening rate to 80 percent. The CDC estimates that a third of U.S. adults 50 to 75 years of age have not undergone the colorectal cancer screening recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Colon cancer "is the most ... treat- able form [of cancer] if detected early," Pennsylvania-based OCA stated in a news release announcing the expanded relationship. T h e N a t i o n a l C o l o r e c t a l C a n c e r Round Table estimates that more than 200,000 Americans' lives could be saved by 2030 if the screening rate reached 80 percent by 2018. Based in Minneapolis, the nonprofit Colon Cancer Coalition promotes early prevention and screening, as well as patient support services. ■ — Steve Barrett L O N G U S E O F antibiotics is associated with higher risk of colorectal adenoma, according to an observational study in Gut. Adenomas are precursors for most colorectal cancers. A multi-institutional team of researchers followed up on fi ndings that suggested a link between antibiotic use and colorectal cancer. The team found approximately 1,200 cases of adenoma among more than 16,000 women older than 60 who had undergone one or more colonoscopies between 2004 and 2010. Participants who used antibiotics two months or longer between the ages of 20 and 59 had a signifi cantly higher risk of colorectal adenoma than non-users. The association was especially strong for women who took antibiotics long term dur- ing their 40s and 50s: Their risk was almost 70 percent higher than that of non-users. C o l o r e c t a l c a n c e r c a u s e s a b o u t 50,000 deaths annually in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. ■ — Steve Barrett EXTENDED ANTIBIOTIC USE May Boost Risk of Colorectal Cancer Precursor TREE NUTS May Reduce Colon Cancer Death, Recurrence TEAMING UP to Increase Screening Rates SPECIAL CLINICAL SECTION: GASTROENTEROLOGY M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 017 2 5