Two-Drug Combo Could Prevent Colon Cancer

Using a two-drug punch, researchers have stopped the recurrence of colon polyps by up to 95 percent – a finding that ultimately could prevent colon cancer. Arizona Cancer Center researcher Eugene W. Gerner and his colleagues found that the two-drug combo substantially reduced the recurrence of colon polyps, especially those associated with the highest risk of colorectal cancer. The minimally toxic treatment had few side effects, about the same as those who received a placebo. The experiment combined difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) with sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. This discovery is a landmark advance in efforts to stop the worldwide epidemic of cancer deaths.