What can help to
prevent colorectal
cancer? updated on April 19, 2007


Most colon cancers arise as results of a series of genetic
mutations from normal colonic epithelium to invasive carcinoma,
with adenomatous polyps as an intermediate step.

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related
mortality. Adjuvant treatment does not seem to be highly effective
and recurrent or metastatic disease occurs in half of the new
cases within one year of diagnosis and median survival does not
exceed 18 months and the 5-year survival rate in the United States
in only 62%.  [1,2].

Screening Methods

Screening procedures are important to prevent the disease and
they include fecal occult blood, flexible sigmoidoscopy,
colonoscopy, and double contrast barium enema), computed
tomographic colonography (virtual colonoscopy) and stool-based
molecular screening. [1]

Chemo-prevention

Chemoprevention refers to the use of natural or synthetic
chemical agents to reverse, suppress, or to delay the process of
carcinogenesis. Chemoprevention is a particularly useful method
in the management of patients at high risk for the development of
specific cancers based on inborn genetic susceptibility, the
presence of cancer-associated disease, or other known risk
factors. Chemo-preventive compounds for colorectal cancer can
be divided into four groups: [a] selenium, folic acid, vitamin D, [b]
calcium, magnesium [3], [c] oestrogens or hormone replacement
therapy, [d] 5-aminosalicylic acid [4] and [e] nonsteroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs such as aspirin [1,2,6]. The mechanisms of
action of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include inhibition of
the cyclooxygenase system and cyclooxygenase-independent
effects [1].

Diet Approach

Considering the fact that the cause of the colorectal cancer (CRC)
involves cell molecular changes and environmental factors.
Researchers have studied intensively on how diet linked to
neoplasia induction (cancer cell development) [9]. In general, they
recommend body weight management, exercise, an increase of
plant food (e.g. wheat bran, aged garlic, lysine, proline, arginine,
ascorbic acid, and green tea extracts) folate and methionine
consumption and a decrease of red meat, alcohol and cigarette
consumption [7- 11].

References

[1] Hawk ET and Levin B, Colorectal cancer prevention, J Clin Oncol. 2005 Jan 10;23(2):
378-91.
[2] Serrano D  et al, Chemoprevention of colorectal cancer: an update., Tech
Coloproctol. 2004 Dec;8 Suppl 2:s248-52
[3] Larsson SC, Magnesium intake in relation to risk of colorectal cancer in women,
JAMA. 2005 Jan 5;293(1):86-9.
[4] Cheng Y et al, 5-aminosalicylic acid is an attractive candidate agent for
chemoprevention of colon cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. World J
Gastroenterol. 2005 Jan 21;11(3):309-14.
[5] Sandler RS. Calcium supplements to prevent colorectal adenomas, Am J
Gastroenterol. 2005 Feb;100(2):395-6.
[6] Gill S and Sinicrope FA. Colorectal cancer prevention: is an ounce of prevention
worth a pound of cure? Semin Oncol. 2005 Feb;32(1):24-34.
[7] Chao A et al, Meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer. JAMA. 2005 Jan 12;
293(2):172-82.
[8] Roomi MW et al , In vivo antitumor effect of ascorbic acid, lysine, proline and green
tea extract on human colon cancer cell HCT 116 xenografts in nude mice: evaluation of
tumor growth and immunohistochemistry. Oncol Rep. 2005 Mar;13(3):421-5.
[9] Campos FG et al, Diet and colorectal cancer: current evidence for etiology and
prevention. Nutr Hosp. 2005 Jan-Feb;20(1):18-25.
[10]Qu H et al, Lignans Are Involved in the Antitumor Activity of Wheat Bran in Colon
Cancer SW480 Cells. J Nutr. 2005 Mar;135(3):598-602.
[11] Tanaka S et al, Effects of aged garlic extract (AGE) on colorectal adenomas: a
double-blinded study. Hiroshim
a J Med Sci. 2004 Dec;53(3-4):39-45.

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