Risk factors for sporadic colorectal cancer in southern Chinese

AIM:To investigate the role of smoking, alcohol drinking, family history of cancer, and body mass index(BMI) in sporadic colorectal cancer in southern Chinese.METHODS:A hospital-based case-control study was conducted from July 2002 to December 2008.There were 706 cases and 723 controls with their sex and age(within 5 years) matched.An unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between smoking, alcohol drinking, family history of cancer, BMI and sporadic colorectal cancer.RESULTS:No positive association was observed between smoking status and sporadic colorectal cancer risk.Compared with the non alcohol drinkers, the current and former alcohol drinkers had an increased risk of developing sporadic colorectal cancer(CRC)(adjusted OR = 8.61 and 95% CI = 6.15-12.05;adjusted OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.27-4.17).Moreover, the increased risk of developing sporadic CRC was significant in those with a positive family history of cancer(adjusted OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.12-3.34) and in those with their BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2(adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.10-1.75).Stratification analysis showed that the risk of developing both colon and rectal cancers was increased in current alcohol drinkers(adjusted OR = 7.60 and 95% CI = 5.13-11.25;adjusted OR = 7.52 and 95% CI = 5.13-11.01) and in those with their BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2(adjusted OR = 1.38 and 95% CI = 1.04-1.83;adjusted OR = 1.35 and 95% CI = 1.02-1.79).The risk of developing colon cancer, but not rectal cancer, was found in former alcohol drinkers and in those with a positive family history of cancer(adjusted OR = 2.51 and 95% CI = 1.24-5.07;adjusted OR = 1.82 and 95% CI = 1.17-2.82).CONCLUSION:Alcohol drinking, high BMI(≥ 24.0 kg/m2) and positive family history of cancer are the independent risk factors for colorectal cancer in southern Chinese.

Impact of medical therapy on patients with Crohn's disease requiring surgical resection

AIM: To evaluate the impact of medical therapy on Crohn’s disease patients undergoing their first surgical resection.

Field cancerization in the colon:a role for aberrant DNA methylation?

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide and arises secondary to the progressive accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in normal colon cells,which results in a polyp-to-cancer progression sequence.It is known that individuals with a personal history of colon adenomas or cancer are at increased risk for metachronous colon neoplasms.One explanation for this increased risk could be field cancerization,which is a phenomenon in which the histologically normal tissue in an organ is primed to undergo transformation.Epigenetic alterations appear to be promising markers for field cancerization.In this review,we discuss field cancerization in the colon and the data supporting the use of methylated DNA as a biomarker for this phenomenon.