ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to investigate effects in the progression stage by working with an experimental model that bears similarity to human studies. In the review of calcium effects in animal models for colon cancer, it becomes instantly clear that the majority of investigators have focused on initiation and promotion, and little data are available on calcium effects in the progression of colon cancer. While the majority of animal-based investigations show strong support for the inhibition of tumorigenesis by calcium, there are significant gaps in knowledge. Other groups are determining the extent of fatty acid-soap formation in an effort to arrive at the mechanism of action for calcium suppression of colon carcinogenesis. The mounting evidence for this effect keyed an early interest in whether similar effects would be observed in subjects at high risk for colon cancer. The author's group has been involved in 5 short-term trials in subjects with resected adenoma or colon cancer.
