Showing posts with label health objectives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health objectives. Show all posts

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Looking into the role of Ciprofloxacin in cancer cell apoptosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States among cancers that affect both men and women.
Screening lowers colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality. CRC is preventable through the removal of premalignant polyps and is curable if diagnosed early. Increased CRC screening and reduced CRC incidence and mortality are among the Healthy People 2020 objectives.
What if CRC could be prevented, at least to a certain degree?

Here an interesting finding that will need further research and require validation in the endeavor to prevent cancer, CRC being a priority target:
Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2010 Oct;23(5):373-5. Epub 2010 Mar 6.
"Ciprofloxacin can significantly affect eukaryotic cells including human cancer cells. Its bactericidal action relay on inhibition of topoisomerase II, enzyme responsible for alterations in 3D structure of DNA during replication, transcription and chromatin condensation. Thanks to that, ciprofloxacin can induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells."

The stakes are high. Lives can be saved. The cost to society for premature death from CRC are too high - we need to become even more proactive than with screening alone.
The medical and societal costs of CRC are substantial. Estimated direct medical costs for CRC care in 2010 were $14 billion, with projected costs of up to $20 billion by 2020 (13). In 2006, estimated lost productivity costs for persons who died from CRC were $15.3 billion (14). This equals $288,468 of lost productivity per CRC death in 2006 (14). Screening costs per person vary by test. The lifetime (age 50--80 years) average per person cost of screening ranges from $71 per person for guaiac-based FOBT to $1,397 per person for colonoscopy (15).