Researchers Identify Potential Colorectal Cancer Triggers

As a medical oncologist at Morrison Cancer Center in Hastings, Nebraska, Dr. Sanda Morar draws on the most up-to-date information in her field. Dr. Sandra Morar focuses particularly on treating gynecological, breast, and colorectal cancers.

According to research recently published by the journal Immunity, the loss of two specific genes may increase a patient's risk of colorectal cancer. The genes in question play a role in encoding two kinase proteins, the loss of which can prompt the development of noncancerous or precancerous growths known as serrated polyps. Prior research has shown that as many as 35 percent of colorectal cancers develop from this type of polyp.

Through a mouse model, researchers found that the loss of these genes caused the infiltration of the PD-L1 protein, which helps cancer cells to survive in the body. Introduction of a TGF-beta receptor inhibitor and anti-PD-L1 reduced the size of the tumors.

Researchers believe that these findings may also help to explain the increased risk of colon cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. The study showed that gene loss decreased the concentration of CD8+ immune cells and prompted the development of colorectal cancer. The loss of these immune cells can be opportunistic for colorectal cancers, particularly since patients with IBD may already be immunocompromised due to immune-suppressing treatments.

2018 Cancer Statistics from the American Cancer Society

Dr. Sanda Morar brings nearly three decades of experience to her work as a medical oncologist at the Morrison Cancer Center. In her role with the Hastings, Nebraska, medical facility, Dr. Sanda Morar treats patients for gynecological, colon, and breast cancer, among various additional forms of the disease.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), lung and bronchus cancer is the deadliest form of the disease, claiming an estimated 154,050 lives in 2018. Lung cancer is more prevalent in men, with an estimated 83,550 deaths involving male patients, and makes up the vast majority of respiratory system cancers.

Cancer of the lung and bronchus was also the most prevalent form of the disease in 2018, with more than 234,000 new cases reported, while 164,690 individuals developed prostate cancer. Colon cancer ranked as the third most commonly observed form of the disease with 97,220 new cases. Other common forms of the disease included melanoma of the skin, of which there were 91,270 cases, and urinary bladder cancer with 81,190 cases.