Active clinical trials for "Colonic Neoplasms"

In leukocytes of patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer treatment: a)identify genes modulated by oral supplementation of zinc; b) evaluate the effects of oral zinc supplementation on humoral immunity and neutrophil function. The study will be conducted on 30 adult patients aged grater than 18 years, of both genders who have undergone surgical resection of colonic neoplastic lesions without metastatic lesion. Patients will be randomized into two groups, with the first (Group QT Zn, n = 15) receive 70 mg/d of zinc for 16 weeks and the second will receive placebo (QT Placebo Group, n = 15). The study will also include 30 healthy volunteers who receive supplementation of 70 mg/d of Zn (C Zn group, n = 15) or placebo (Group C Placebo, n = 15). Zinc supplementation or placebo for all study groups will start two days before the volunteers received the pneumococcal vaccine, polyvalent 23. Fifteen days after vaccination, patients begin chemotherapy as pre-established criteria by the Oncology Service. Will be monitored the parameters of nutritional status (anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance, food intake, and laboratory tests) adverse effects, according to rules of the CTCAE. In the evaluation of humoral immunity, antibodies opsonization and in the pneumococcal polysaccharide will be measured. Will be evaluated the function of neutrophils by measuring DNA NETs and quantified calprotectin and elastase released in the culture supernatants of activated neutrophils. RT-qPCR will be done of genes differentially expressed(DEGS) on activated leukocytes. In six volunteers from each group will be analyzed global gene expression from RNA extracted from leukocytes by microarray; will be detected and correlated the molecular pathways modulated by zinc by MetaCore software (GeneGo). The DEGS will be validated by RT-qPCR.

Rationale: It is well known that insulin resistance occurs after mediocre and intensive surgery, such as colon cancer surgery. Disturbances in insulin action negatively affect the postoperative recovery, either by prolonging the capacity of the body to regain normal function, or by increasing the metabolic stress and the risk for complications. Several studies have shown that focusing therapies on improving insulin resistance is successful. Experimental studies have shown that antioxidant agents, like glutamine (a precursor of glutathione), improve insulin sensitivity. The hypothesis of this study is that perioperative parenteral or enteral administration of glutamine, given as the dipeptide alanyl-glutamine, will reduce or prevent postoperative insulin resistance in colon cancer patients. The study will also be focused on the different routes of administration, because of the expected differential metabolic effects. Objective: The investigators' primary objective is to study whether intravenous or enteral administration of the dipeptide alanyl-glutamine will reduce or prevent postoperative insulin resistance in colon cancer patients. Study design: A double-blinded, placebo controlled randomised, pilot study at the Surgery Department of the Medical Center Alkmaar. Study population: Thirty patients of male gender and any ethnicity, who will undergo elective open abdominal colon surgery for colon cancer, aged 18-75 years. Intervention: Patients will receive dipeptide alanyl-glutamine intravenously or enterally, starting 24 hours prior to surgery, until 24 hours after surgery in the dosage of 0.5 g/kg/day, or saline (control group), for the same period of time. Main study parameters/endpoints: The main study parameter is postoperative insulin resistance. Secondary study parameters are lipolysis, oxidative stress and glucoregulatory hormones. Muscle, liver and fat biopsies will be taken to study insulin sensitive as well as inflammatory pathways.

This research trial studies tissue samples from patients with stage II colon cancer treated on Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB)-9581 or CALGB-90903. Studying samples of tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and identify biomarkers related to cancer. It may also help doctors understand how patients respond to treatment.

RATIONALE: Studying samples of tumor tissue in the laboratory from patients with cancer who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy may help doctors predict how well patients will respond to treatment. PURPOSE: This research study is looking at tumor samples from patients with stage III colon cancer who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy.

The study aims to provide a more complete characterization and understanding of the genetic causes of and tumor DNA detection potential in colorectal cancer. Ultimately findings of this study will be used to develop early detection tests for colorectal cancer that are minimally invasive (based on a blood test). It is hoped that reliable, minimally invasive, early detection methods will lead to improved screening rates, increased screening safety, longer colorectal cancer survival, and overall cost savings. In order to assess the test's ability to detect tumor DNA, 25 participants with known colorectal cancer who will be undergoing surgical resection of the colon as part of their clinical care will be recruited. The investigators will collect blood from participants prior to surgery, tumor and normal tissue removed during surgery, a series of blood samples after surgery for up to one year and relevant medical records. DNA variants identified in blood will be compared against tissue samples. Serial samples will be analyzed to assess the variance in amount of circulating tumor DNA across time with standard treatment.

This study aims to compare the results of colonic surgery performed by single and multiport laparoscopy.

The study is testing a new, safe and effective way for the early detection of colon cancer. The method uses Low-coherence Enhanced Backscattering Spectroscopy (LEBS). This is an optic probe which is a small device that uses light (not laser) to assess the colon lining. This probe will be used before colonoscopy to identify subjects who do and do not have precancerous changes in the colon by capturing the light reflected back from the rectal wall and that will be assessed without the need for colonoscopy and bowel preparation (colon cleaning). This device may detect early cancerous changes in colon tissue with higher accuracy than current tests.

This aim of this study is to investigate the prebiotic potential of date fruits in healthy human volunteers compared to a control diet. Each arm was 21 days in duration, separated by a 14 days washout period. Faecal samples, and blood samples will be collected from each volunteer and high resolution analytical techniques (HPLC, LC-MS and NMR) will be employed to characterise the whole system metabolic response to ingestion of date fruits compared to the control. Changes in microbial parameters and metabolite profiles will be correlated with changes in biomarkers of chronic disease, including faecal water genotoxicity, cellular reactions, blood lipids and bowel movements.

RATIONALE: Genetic studies may help in understanding the genetic processes involved in the development of some types of cancer. PURPOSE: Clinical trial to study the cancer-related genes in patients who have colon cancer or adenomatous polyps.

Reflexion on the therapeutic strategies to implement in patients at the end of life is advancing rapidly in France. However, beyond the choices presented to patients, sometimes even the decision to carry on, to limit or to stop treatments is also questioned. This decision is subjective; it is influenced by the patient's representation system (emotions, beliefs, values, practices, etc). In addition, even though he or she is the focus of the decision, the patient is not alone; other actors, accompanying the patient, play an important role in the final decision making. These actors, namely the doctors and close relatives, are also influenced in their decision making. This coexistence of representation systems may interfere with objective indicators that help in decision making (functional, clinical and biological) or with the knowledge acquired by doctors in their training and may complicate the decision-making process.