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Sixty Percent Ignore Advice On Colonoscopy: A Screening That Could Save Their Lives
By Staff Writer
Close to 50,000 Americans died last year of colon cancer, a number that would surely drop if screening became routine for patients in middle-age. Estimates say just 40 percent of people in that age group undergo the procedure.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, established by the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation to encourage people to learn more about how to reduce their risk for the disease through healthy lifestyles and regular screening tests.
At age 50, men and women should begin routine colonoscopy, earlier if they face risk factors such as family history, said Mary Clark, a nurse in the gastroenterology lab at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
But high unemployment - and subsequent loss of medical insurance - have cut the numbers undergoing elective procedures, including colonoscopy, said Gastroenterologist Henry A. Fisher, M.D., on staff at Providence Saint Joseph.
In 2008, 150,000 people were diagnosed with colon cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Colonoscopies detect abnormalities in 20 to 40 percent of those who do get tested, bolstering the argument for routine screening even in these tough economic times.
The preparation for the colonoscopy - clearing the bowels the day before - is usually the most uncomfortable part of the process but, with sedation as needed, most patients handle the test itself reasonably well, said Raul Mena, M.D., director of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center's Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center.
A number of colorectal cancer clinical trials are ongoing at Providence Saint Joseph. For information on current trials, please contact the Providence Clinical Research Department at (818) 847-3220.
Colon Cancer Facts:
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, 501 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank
1-888-HEALING
Everything you wanted to know about sinuses but were afraid to ask.
Have you had a cold or allergy attack that wouldn't go away? If so, there's a good chance you had sinusitis. 37 million people are afflicted with sinusitis each year.
When is a cold actually sinusitis?
The majority of sinus infections are caused by bacteria usually preceded by a cold. It can be made worse by exposure to environmental pollutants. Bacterial sinusitis requires a physician's diagnosis and treatment with an antibiotic.
Normally, mucus collecting in the sinuses drains into the nasal passages. When people have a cold or allergy attack, sinuses become inflamed and unable to drain. Diagnosis of acute sinusitis usually is based on a physical examination. Your doctor also may use x-rays of your sinuses.
When Acute Becomes Chronic Sinusitis
When you have frequent sinus infections, you most likely suffer from chronic sinusitis. Symptoms may be less severe than those of acute sinusitis; however, untreated chronic sinusitis can cause damage to the sinuses.
Treating Sinusitis
Therapy for bacterial sinusitis should include an antibiotic. Inhaling steam or using saline nasal sprays or drops can help relieve discomfort. Symptoms of sinus infections include headaches , facial pain or pressure, nasal congestion, nasal drainage, ear fullness, cough, fevers, sneezing, dental pain, itchy eyes and sometimes fatigue.
Diagnosis can be made by looking into the nasal cavity with a small telescope and then with a CT scan. Surgery should be considered only if medical treatment fails.
Surgery for sinus disease is termed Functional endoscopic sinus surgery and is for chronic sinus disease. tIt removes diseased tissue and polyps and clears the narrow channels between the sinuses. For more information visit ww.marckernermd.com.
New Breast Cancer Clinical Trial At Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
By Staff Writer
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center is the first hospital in the Los Angeles area participating in a clinical trial, treating early-stage breast cancer patients with a technique that neutralizes tumors essentially by "freezing" them.
Deanna Attai, M.D., on staff at Providence Saint Joseph and the only local physician involved in the program, has two patients enrolled in the trial, which will explore the use of non-invasive cryoablation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer. Both women will begin treatment immediatly and are expected to be among about 100 patients nationwide taking part in the trial.
"This is incredibly exciting," Dr. Attai said. "These two women are among the first patients in the nation to be a part of this potentially groundbreaking trial."
Patients Pamela Kalmus and Lori Burrows will begin treatment Monday afternoon. Both have been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and both have good prognoses, Dr. Attai said.
Burrows, 49, said she found a small lump in February and a needle biopsy confirmed cancer. She heard her options through her own physician, and then was drawn to Dr. Attai for a second opinion after learning about the cryoablation trial.
"I'm excited about it for two reasons - it's very promising, and if this can make it so other woman don't have to go under the knife, that's a real cool thing," she said. "If you don't have to have your breast mutilated to survive disease, I'm all for being part of that."
Kalmus, 62, was diagnosed last month with breast cancer after her annual mammogram.
"Something was there that was there last year," she said. "My doctor followed up right away and I'm happy I can be part of this procedure. I hope I can help establish something that's workable for other women. This is not an easy thing to face, but the treatments are advancing."
The first stage for these two women was magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing at Providence Saint Joseph to pinpoint their tumors. Blood work and an injection of a substance to "freeze" the tumor will follow Monday in the doctor's office, and later a second MRI will assess the results.
The procedure is common in treating benign breast tumors and surgery is not involved. But in this trial, the deadened tumor tissue will be surgically removed about two weeks later to check its pathology, Dr. Attai said.
The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group initiated the study, which is being funded by the National Cancer Institute. Attai is the only Los Angeles-area physician participating.
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, 501 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank
1-888-HEALING