Briefs

New Symbol of Hope for Colon Cancer Cure

WASHINGTON — Just as the red ribbon has come to symbolize AIDS and pink represents breast cancer, the blue star symbol introduced by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) will now signify the fight against colon cancer. The symbol has already been adopted by nearly all of the major groups in the colorectal cancer community, symbolizing their united effort in the battle to prevent colorectal cancer deaths.

“We are so pleased there is finally a symbol for colorectal cancer, the nation’s second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women. This disease affects hundreds of thousands of people each year, and this symbol is a sign of our common commitment to prevention, treatment and finding a cure,” said National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable Chairman Dr. Bernard Levin, of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “The blue star symbolizes that by working together, we will prevent many from ever developing colorectal cancer and create highly effective treatments.”

The new blue star symbol for colorectal cancer was developed and nationally tested by a brand development company, and unanimously adopted by NCCRT members and their groups. The symbol is a star, representing the eternal memory of those people whose lives have already been lost to the disease and the shining hope for a future free of colon cancer. The star is merged with the more common ribbon for awareness theme and assumes a human shape. Health-concerned groups around the country plan to use the symbol on Web sites, brochures, pins, T-shirts, hats, and other forms of communication, all to show their commitment to beating colon cancer.

“It wasn’t that long ago that people didn’t even discuss colon cancer. Now we are proudly standing together to identify ourselves as people affected by, and impassioned about beating colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Robert Smith, NCCRT co-chairman and director of screening for the American Cancer Society. “Colorectal cancer is completely preventable through early screening, and the key to reducing colorectal cancer is simply increasing awareness of the need to screen. The new blue star symbol will serve as a reminder of the importance of colon cancer screening and show that people who have been touched by the disease are not alone.”

In 1997, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened the first meetings of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable to discuss strategies for educating medical providers and the public about the importance of colorectal cancer screening.

Since that time, the NCCRT has become the nation’s largest colorectal cancer coalition, with more than 50 member groups representing nearly all of the colon cancer community.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), coupled with the use of the contrast dye gadolinium, may help pediatricians better diagnose children with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Results of the study, published in the March 2004 issue of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, showed that the gadoliniumenhanced MRI (G-MRI) confirmed these diagnoses in more than 90 percent of the children in the study who had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Because ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease — two painful ailments with similar origins and symptoms — have two very different treatment regimens, especially if surgical treatment is contemplated, early diagnosis is critical, the researchers say.

“For the most severe cases of ulcerative colitis, surgical removal of the colon is the only cure, while there is no cure for Crohn’s disease,” says Anil Darbari, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children’s Center, and the lead author of the study.

“Unfortunately, many children who are originally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and have their diseased colon surgically removed are later found to actually have had Crohn’s, which is discovered when the disease resurfaces in another area within the intestinal tract.”

“We also found that G-MRI was very helpful in diagnosing pediatric small bowel disease, which occurs in an area in a child’s body that is not accessible by conventional endoscopies or colonoscopies,” Darbari says. “Because children with small bowel disease may not exhibit traditional Crohn’s disease symptoms, finding definitive evidence of small bowel disease, which is affiliated with Crohn’s disease, prevents these children from being labeled with indeterminate IBD and allows them to begin the appropriate drug treatment right away.”

Previous studies have shown G-MRI is effective in distinguishing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in adults.

However, this is believed to be the first study to establish G-MRI as a radiological tool in diagnosing IBD in children.

In the study, pediatric radiologists at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center performed a G-MRI on 58 children with suspected IBD between 1999 and 2002.

Researchers used intravenous gadolinium — a safe, commonly used contrast dye — and other standard imaging tools to enhance the image of the intestinal wall.

Based on G-MRI results, 30 children were classified with having Crohn’s disease, eight with ulcerative colitis, six with possible Crohn’s disease, and 14 as having neither disease. Researchers compared these findings with those from more traditional IBD diagnostic tests, including colonoscopy, in which a tiny scope is inserted through the rectum to examine the lower digestive tract; computerized tomography (CT), which creates a 3-D image of the intestines; small bowel image studies; and biopsied colon tissue. They discovered G-MRI confirmed the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis in 92 percent of patients and the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease in 96 percent of patients.

G-MRI is unlikely to replace colonoscopy, says Darbari, because colonoscopy allows tissue samples to be obtained and biopsied for further evaluation. However, he adds, for children with suspected small bowel disease, G-MRI does provide a more sensitive, non-invasive, diagnostic tool and could replace conventional CT and small bowel contrast studies.

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