In a major move to prevent colon cancer, UA researchers today announced a new drug therapy that slashes the risk for pre-cancerous colon polyps by more than 90 percent.
The new therapy — combining the drug DFMO and an anti-inflammatory drug known as sulindac — was tested in patients who had developed these dangerous polyps, putting them at high risk for moving on to full-fledged colon cancer.
In these patients, the chance of developing more polyps was cut up to 95 percent in the highest-risk patients — more than double the preventive effect of other known therapies against colon cancer, including aspirin.
“This has really hit a home run,” said Dr. David S. Alberts, director of the Arizona Cancer Center, where patients were tested.
“This is by far the most effective therapy we have found to prevent this cancer, with very little toxicity.”
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Leading the UA arm of this research is Dr. Eugene Gerner, director of the cancer center’s gastrointestinal cancer program.
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