Now, keep up to date
with daily feeds of newly posted stories
about America's Seniors...click on the box
to the left
Tips to
lower risk of Colorectal Cancer; New
combined Colonoscopy Procedure avoids major
surgery
Newswise — Patient Dennis Smith, age 60, is
very lucky. After his wife urged him to have
a routine colonoscopy, he was shocked to
find that he had a huge polyp that was going
to require removing part of his colon.
He was referred to UCLA where instead of
surgery, doctors performed a cutting-edge
technique which combines laparoscopy with a
colonoscopy and has only been done at a few
centers around the country. The team was
able to remove the polyp
minimally-invasively.
“Colorectal cancer is one of the leading
causes of cancer death, but it can be
prevented with early screening or cured with
early detection,” said Dr. Yoo, assistant
professor of surgery at the David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA, who performed
the new combined procedure with UCLA
gastroenterologist Dr. Eric Esrailian.
While Esrailian performed the colonoscopy to
remove the polyp, Yoo watched the outside of
the colon via a tiny laparoscopic camera
placed inside the body through three tiny
incisions on the outside of the abdomen.
The procedure took place in the operating
room and Yoo was ready to address any
problems such as bleeding or perforation of
the colon, which are risks with removing a
polyp of this size and position. The
procedure went off without a hitch.
“This combined procedure may be used with
patients diagnosed with polyps that are
difficult to remove, polyps that are
flattened against the colon wall or in
hard-to-reach places,” said Esrailian,
assistant clinical professor of digestive
diseases, Geffen School of Medicine.
Smith was relieved to avoid the risks and
complications of a major surgery and was
even more thrilled to discover that the
polyp was benign – generally polyps of this
size have a higher risk of being cancerous.
He had the procedure a year ago and is doing
great.
“While colorectal cancer is the second most
common cause of cancer death in the United
States, it is the most preventable major
cancer. Improvements in prevention, early
detection, and treatment have greatly
reduced the death toll from this disease,”
said Dr. J. Randolph Hecht, clinical
professor of medicine and director, GI
Oncology Program, Geffen School of Medicine
at UCLA and member of the UCLA Jonsson
Cancer Center.
Here’s what you can do to help and improve
colon health.
10 Tips to Lower Your Risk of Colorectal
Cancer
1. Receive regular colorectal cancer
screenings beginning at age 50 if you are at
normal risk.
2. If you are at higher risk — due to a
personal or family history of colorectal
cancer, other cancers or inflammatory bowel
disease — talk to your doctor about
screenings before age 50.
3. Eat between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each
day — from fruits, vegetables, whole grain
breads and cereals, nuts, and beans.
4. Eat a low-fat diet. Colorectal cancer has
been associated with diets high in saturated
fat.
5. Eat foods with folate, such as leafy
green vegetables.
6. Drink alcohol in moderation and quit
smoking. Alcohol and tobacco in combination
are linked to colorectal cancer and other
gastrointestinal cancers.
7. Exercise for at least 20 minutes three to
four days a week. Moderate exercise such as
walking, gardening or climbing stairs may
help reduce your risk.
8. Report to your doctor any persistent
symptoms such as blood in the stool, a
change in bowel habits, weight loss,
narrower-than-usual stools, abdominal pains
or other gastrointestinal complaints.
9. Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity may
increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
10. For more information, please visit the
Web site of the American Cancer Society at
http://www.cancer.org.
... ..
...
...