Beaumont Seeking Volunteers for Colon Cancer Prevention Study

Trial to study effectiveness of Crestor® in preventing recurrence of colon cancer

Can a drug developed to lower cholesterol also help prevent colon cancer? Investigators at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak are seeking volunteers who have had colon cancer removed by surgery for a national research trial. Researchers will study the effectiveness of the statin drug rosuvastatin, brand name Crestor®, in preventing a recurrence of cancer of the colon or rectum.

Can drug prevent recurrence of colon cancer and surgery?

“The goal of this study is to evaluate the effects, good and bad, of the drug rosuvastatin,” says Harry Wasvary, M.D., co-director, Colorectal Multidisciplinary Tumor Clinic, Beaumont, Royal Oak and the site’s principal investigator. “Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada have approved this drug for lowering cholesterol. Reports of people who take statins, like rosuvastatin, suggest they may also lower the risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the colon or rectum. We hope our study will shed new light on the effectiveness of rosuvastatin as a possible drug to prevent the recurrence of colorectal cancer.”

Statins are a class of drugs prescribed to lower cholesterol. These medications work by disrupting the production of cholesterol in the liver.

The main purpose of this study is to find out whether or not rosuvastatin is able to prevent colon polyps and colorectal cancer from occurring in patients who have already had a colon cancer removed by surgery. People who have had colon cancer have a greater than average risk of developing polyps in the colon and rectum that may become colorectal cancer in the future. Prevention of polyps may reduce the risk of a new colorectal cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States. It is also the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women.

Nationwide, nearly 1,700 volunteers are being recruited for the study, with Beaumont, Royal Oak seeking 200 men or women to participate.

This is a randomized trial, which means participants will be put into one of two groups by chance. One group will take placebo tablets, which are a simulated medication. The other group will take rosuvastatin tablets. Neither group will know whether they are taking the placebo or rosuvastatin.

To be eligible for the study, individuals must:

• have had colon cancer removed by surgery
• be willing to participate in the trial for seven years
• take part in pre-study exams and testing
• take part in tests and exams during the study (blood tests, physical exams, colonoscopies)
• take part in post-study exams and tests
• complete periodic questionnaires and study diaries
• not become pregnant or father a baby during the trial

Study medications will be provided at no cost to qualified participants taking part in the trial.

For more information, including study eligibility, contact Beaumont’s Beverley Mc Nie at 248-551-5824.

Beaumont’s comprehensive cancer program combines the expertise of surgical, medical and radiation oncologists to offer cancer prevention counseling, diagnosis and treatment in hospital and community-based settings. The Beaumont Cancer Institute is one of only 47 Community Clinical Oncology Programs in the country designated by the National Cancer Institute to provide patients with access to leading-edge cancer clinical research trials. Beaumont is designated as a Blue Cross Center of Distinction for the Treatment of Rare and Complex Cancers.