the deceased lady Deborah James would have been ‘excited’ by the results of a new study that has found a way to stop the gut at a late stage cancer cells do not grow.
According to a new study, experts at the University of Edinburgh have found a way to block a gene that cancer cells need to grow, while leaving healthy cells unaffected.
Dame Deborah was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in December 2016 and was told early on that she should not live more than five years. She died at age 40 in June.
Before her death, Dame Deborah charted her cancer journey on her Instagram account and her podcast; You, me and the Big C alongside Steve Bland and Lauren Mahon.
Dame Deborah’s friend and co-host of the You, Me and the Big C podcast, Steve, said she would have been thrilled with the scientific breakthrough.
“It’s extraordinary what is happening in the world of cancer and the speed with which research is progressing,” he said the mirror.
‘The passion and drive people have to improve the lives of cancer patients is amazing. I’m sure this is something Deb would have been delighted with.”
In the last weeks of her life, she has raised more than £6 million for Cancer Research UKthough Steve says it will take “decades” to see the full effects of all her dedicated work.
“Deb did so much and she was so passionate about research, but we won’t see the impact of the fundraising she did for decades to come.”
Dame Deborah underwent several surgeries and treatments, including experimental drugs, during her battle with colon cancer, including hospitalization in July 2021 after discovering that an aggressive new tumor near her liver had wrapped around her bile duct, causing an infection.
What you need to know about colon cancer, its warning signs and its treatment:
How often is it?
Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second largest cancer killer, said Dr. Lisa Wilde of Bowel Cancer UK. About 43,000 men and women are diagnosed each year — the equivalent of one person every 15 minutes.
What are the main symptoms?
Persistent and unexplained changes in your bowel habits, such as pooping more often or looser stools. Blood in your poo or from your buttocks – often dark red or brown. Unexplained weight loss, extreme fatigue for no reason and pain or a lump in your abdomen.
Could the symptoms be something else?
Yes, but it’s important to check. They may also indicate irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, or an infection.
What happens at the appointment with the doctor?
Your doctor may want to check your abdomen and buttocks for lumps and give you a blood test. You may need to do a FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) at home or go to a hospital for a colonoscopy.
How treatable is it?
Colon cancer is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early. Survival rates drop the later it is found.
What treatment is there?
Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or biological treatments. In some cases, a colostomy or stoma may be required.
dr. Kevin Myrant, who led the study, said the findings could change colon cancer treatment in the future.
“If we can prevent splicing from being hijacked, we can stop the growth of colon cancer and make it more vulnerable to treatment,” Myrant said.
‘When we grew colon cancer cells in the lab and blocked a gene that the cells need to splice, they stopped growing. When we blocked the same gene in normal intestinal cells, they grew normally,” he explained.
In May, Dame Deborah moved to an end-of-life hospice. During the last months of her life, she launched the Bowelbabe fund for Cancer Research UK, which has raised millions of pounds to date.
In a final message before her death, Dame Deborah James urged people to ‘check your poo – it could save your life’.
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