Each week, Dartmouth Cancer Center Director Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, shares his thoughts on top cancer topics.
Colorectal cancer is now the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. That's a statistic we should all pay attention to.
But here's something important: colorectal cancer is also largely preventable. Screening can detect cancer early, and, in many cases, prevent it altogether by identifying and removing pre-cancerous polyps. If you're 45 or older and haven't been screened, talk with your healthcare provider. It’s one of the most important steps you can take for your health.
At Dartmouth Cancer Center, our researchers and clinicians are working every day to knock colorectal cancer off this terrible list.
Gabriel Brooks, MD, Director of our Gastrointestinal Clinical Oncology group, is leading several clinical trials to better personalize chemotherapy, use circulating tumor DNA to guide treatment decisions after surgery, and evaluate new treatment combinations for patients with advanced disease.
Lynn Butterly, MD, who directs our Colorectal Cancer Screening program, is leading the New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry to collect statewide data and track long-term outcomes that ultimately inform life-saving recommendations.
The expansive PCORI-funded research led by Gastroenterology and Hepatology Section Chief Audrey Calderwood, MD, (pictured here), compares screening options for older adults with a history of polyps to improve outcomes and quality of life.
This is how we move the field forward: asking better questions, testing new ideas, and bringing discoveries directly to patients.
This work will continue despite the strain biomedical research funding has faced lately. As we reflect on Election Day here in the U.S., I want to make one thing clear: Cancer cannot see color. Cancer is not red or blue. And cancer is not political. Every person facing a cancer diagnosis deserves access to the best possible care, regardless of where they live, what they earn, or how they vote.
With so much at stake for patients and their families, my hope is that the new Congress will prioritize access to high-quality cancer care and clinical trials. This is something we should all be able to agree on, and we need everyone's support to keep working to our fullest potential.