Guest guest Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Found this while searching the CBS site about Mentoring. Thought you might be interested “If everybody would get early screenings, we could knock colorectal cancer off the list of killers.†- Dr. Miskovitz, Clinical Professor of Medicine/Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and Attending Physician at the New York- Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan Interview with Dr. Miskovitz Definition: " Colorectal cancer " is cancer that occurs in the colon and/or rectum. These cancers start in the lower digestive tract. Polyps: The Source of Most Colorectal Cancers Colorectal cancer almost always develops from a benign growth, which doctors call a " polyp. " Cancer may result if the polyp is allowed to remain in the large intestine and grow. Ninety-five percent of colon cancers are thought to originate from a polyp. If polyps are found and removed when they are benign, the person will not develop colon cancer from them. If a benign polyp develops into a malignant tumor, the cancer cells have the ability to leave the original tumor site and travel ( " metastasize " ) to distant locations in the body and invade other organs. Colon cancer is often fatal if the cancer cells have spread unchecked through the lymphatic system or bloodstream to adjacent and/or distant tissues. Colorectal cancer has a strong tendency to metastasize to the liver, which represents the leading cause of death for people with the disease. The lungs are also a frequent site of distant metastasis, followed by the adrenal glands, ovaries in women and then bone. Early Screenings and Detection are the Keys to Survival and/or Cure The majority of colorectal cancers would likely have been avoided if the people had only undergone regular and appropriate screenings. Colon cancer kills nearly 60,000 Americans every year and, in adult men, these cancers are second in prevalence only to lung cancer. In women, colon cancer is the third most prevalent cancer, after lung and breast cancer. It is tragic that the vast majority of the deaths were avoidable if the people had only undergone the relatively minor inconvenience of periodic screenings. Many of those people saw or heard public service announcements urging periodic screening tests, yet didn't act. Don't let that be you or a loved one. Make sure you know all your risk factors and have screenings, as recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and specialists. By taking charge of your health, you can markedly decrease the chance that you will die from colorectal cancer. Prevalence of Colorectal Cancer by Regions In the US, the incidence of colon cancer is higher in the North and East, but that is little comfort to those in the West and South who develop colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is more prevalent in Asia and Latin America than it is in Africa. It is not clear whether this is due to genetics, diet or lifestyle, or a combination of these factors. Colorectal Cancer Treatments - Great Promise for the Future Current treatment for colorectal cancer does not afford the patient as many options as breast or prostate cancer. A woman with breast cancer can often make a decision whether to have a mastectomy (removal of the entire breast) or lumpectomy (removal of a targeted part of the breast). A man with prostate cancer, depending on the stage of his cancer, can wait and see before deciding on treatment with his doctor or have the prostate removed. With colon cancer, the only choice is to remove the cancer, whether it is confined to a polyp or has spread into the colon wall. There have been advances in non-surgical treatment of advanced colorectal cancers, like new ways to administer chemotherapy so that people can usually be treated on an outpatient basis. There are also better drugs to treat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, and drugs to increase abnormally low red and white blood cells. Increasing the red blood cells can help restore energy, and increasing the white blood cells can help avoid serious infections. One of the most exciting breakthroughs has been in the development of a new class of cancer treatment drugs that are called " angiogenesis inhibitors. " These choke off development of the blood vessels that cancers need to survive and grow. Researchers are looking at ways to stimulate the immune system so that it can more effectively challenge colorectal and other tumors. Research also continues into gene therapies, which could not only result in novel ways to treat colorectal cancer, but could enable a defective gene to be corrected before it causes a polyp to become cancerous. Survival Rates The newer drugs for more advanced colorectal cancer may be safer and more comfortable. But, the somber reality, as leading Gastroenterologist and co-author of What to Do if You Get Colon Cancer: A Specialist Helps You Take Charge and Make Informed Choices, Dr. Miskovitz , advised CBS Cares, is that someone diagnosed with colon cancer today has comparable chances of survival to someone who was diagnosed in 1975. This further reinforces the crucial role of routine screenings and early detection if cancer is present. As previously mentioned, colorectal cancer can be prevented through routine screening and polyp removal. If the polyp has become cancerous, early detection and treatment dramatically affects survival. For example, individuals diagnosed with colon cancer in the earliest stage of the disease have a greater than 90 percent chance of beating it. By contrast, another study has shown that with traditional colorectal treatments, only ten percent of patients are alive after five years if the cancer has spread to distant organs. Too many people delay or avoid routine screenings, as evidenced by the fact that only four in ten colon cancers are currently diagnosed at the early, most treatable stage. The Symptoms and Signs Many colorectal cancers present no symptoms for a considerable time and, when they do, vague abdominal discomfort is so commonplace patients may ignore it. Colorectal cancer may also be signaled by a change in bowel habits, obstruction of the bowel, blood in the stool and iron deficiency related anemia. The symptoms of colorectal cancer can also easily be confused with those of non cancerous conditions - for example, diverticulosis, colitis, hemorrhoids and irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms can provide a clue that someone has colorectal cancer and anyone with serious or persistent gastrointestinal symptoms should see their doctor. But the presence of symptoms does not necessarily mean that someone has colorectal cancer and the absence of symptoms does not mean that colorectal cancer is not brewing. The ACS and experts all agree that routine and periodic screenings are, by far, the most reliable approach to detecting colorectal cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Narice, He's just as right as he can be!! Wonder if he would like to make a statement by joining us for Project MARCH in Washington, D.C. ??? To learn more about the ProjectMARCH group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProjectMARCH To start sending messages to members of this group, simply send email to ProjectMARCH Louise Bates Survivor since Aug 2001 HOTTX@... www.colorectal-cancer.net From: flipper759@... Found this while searching the CBS site about Mentoring. Thought you might be interested “If everybody would get early screenings, we could knock colorectal cancer off the list of killers.†- Dr. Miskovitz, Clinical Professor of Medicine/Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and Attending Physician at the New York- Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan Interview with Dr. Miskovitz Definition: " Colorectal cancer " is cancer that occurs in the colon and/or rectum. These cancers start in the lower digestive tract. Polyps: The Source of Most Colorectal Cancers Colorectal cancer almost always develops from a benign growth, which doctors call a " polyp. " Cancer may result if the polyp is allowed to remain in the large intestine and grow. Ninety-five percent of colon cancers are thought to originate from a polyp. If polyps are found and removed when they are benign, the person will not develop colon cancer from them. If a benign polyp develops into a malignant tumor, the cancer cells have the ability to leave the original tumor site and travel ( " metastasize " ) to distant locations in the body and invade other organs. Colon cancer is often fatal if the cancer cells have spread unchecked through the lymphatic system or bloodstream to adjacent and/or distant tissues. Colorectal cancer has a strong tendency to metastasize to the liver, which represents the leading cause of death for people with the disease. The lungs are also a frequent site of distant metastasis, followed by the adrenal glands, ovaries in women and then bone. Early Screenings and Detection are the Keys to Survival and/or Cure The majority of colorectal cancers would likely have been avoided if the people had only undergone regular and appropriate screenings. Colon cancer kills nearly 60,000 Americans every year and, in adult men, these cancers are second in prevalence only to lung cancer. In women, colon cancer is the third most prevalent cancer, after lung and breast cancer. It is tragic that the vast majority of the deaths were avoidable if the people had only undergone the relatively minor inconvenience of periodic screenings. Many of those people saw or heard public service announcements urging periodic screening tests, yet didn't act. Don't let that be you or a loved one. Make sure you know all your risk factors and have screenings, as recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and specialists. By taking charge of your health, you can markedly decrease the chance that you will die from colorectal cancer. Prevalence of Colorectal Cancer by Regions In the US, the incidence of colon cancer is higher in the North and East, but that is little comfort to those in the West and South who develop colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is more prevalent in Asia and Latin America than it is in Africa. It is not clear whether this is due to genetics, diet or lifestyle, or a combination of these factors. Colorectal Cancer Treatments - Great Promise for the Future Current treatment for colorectal cancer does not afford the patient as many options as breast or prostate cancer. A woman with breast cancer can often make a decision whether to have a mastectomy (removal of the entire breast) or lumpectomy (removal of a targeted part of the breast). A man with prostate cancer, depending on the stage of his cancer, can wait and see before deciding on treatment with his doctor or have the prostate removed. With colon cancer, the only choice is to remove the cancer, whether it is confined to a polyp or has spread into the colon wall. There have been advances in non-surgical treatment of advanced colorectal cancers, like new ways to administer chemotherapy so that people can usually be treated on an outpatient basis. There are also better drugs to treat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, and drugs to increase abnormally low red and white blood cells. Increasing the red blood cells can help restore energy, and increasing the white blood cells can help avoid serious infections. One of the most exciting breakthroughs has been in the development of a new class of cancer treatment drugs that are called " angiogenesis inhibitors. " These choke off development of the blood vessels that cancers need to survive and grow. Researchers are looking at ways to stimulate the immune system so that it can more effectively challenge colorectal and other tumors. Research also continues into gene therapies, which could not only result in novel ways to treat colorectal cancer, but could enable a defective gene to be corrected before it causes a polyp to become cancerous. Survival Rates The newer drugs for more advanced colorectal cancer may be safer and more comfortable. But, the somber reality, as leading Gastroenterologist and co-author of What to Do if You Get Colon Cancer: A Specialist Helps You Take Charge and Make Informed Choices, Dr. Miskovitz , advised CBS Cares, is that someone diagnosed with colon cancer today has comparable chances of survival to someone who was diagnosed in 1975. This further reinforces the crucial role of routine screenings and early detection if cancer is present. As previously mentioned, colorectal cancer can be prevented through routine screening and polyp removal. If the polyp has become cancerous, early detection and treatment dramatically affects survival. For example, individuals diagnosed with colon cancer in the earliest stage of the disease have a greater than 90 percent chance of beating it. By contrast, another study has shown that with traditional colorectal treatments, only ten percent of patients are alive after five years if the cancer has spread to distant organs. Too many people delay or avoid routine screenings, as evidenced by the fact that only four in ten colon cancers are currently diagnosed at the early, most treatable stage. The Symptoms and Signs Many colorectal cancers present no symptoms for a considerable time and, when they do, vague abdominal discomfort is so commonplace patients may ignore it. Colorectal cancer may also be signaled by a change in bowel habits, obstruction of the bowel, blood in the stool and iron deficiency related anemia. The symptoms of colorectal cancer can also easily be confused with those of non cancerous conditions - for example, diverticulosis, colitis, hemorrhoids and irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms can provide a clue that someone has colorectal cancer and anyone with serious or persistent gastrointestinal symptoms should see their doctor. But the presence of symptoms does not necessarily mean that someone has colorectal cancer and the absence of symptoms does not mean that colorectal cancer is not brewing. The ACS and experts all agree that routine and periodic screenings are, by far, the most reliable approach to detecting colorectal cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Narice, He's just as right as he can be!! Wonder if he would like to make a statement by joining us for Project MARCH in Washington, D.C. ??? To learn more about the ProjectMARCH group, please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProjectMARCH To start sending messages to members of this group, simply send email to ProjectMARCH Louise Bates Survivor since Aug 2001 HOTTX@... www.colorectal-cancer.net From: flipper759@... Found this while searching the CBS site about Mentoring. Thought you might be interested “If everybody would get early screenings, we could knock colorectal cancer off the list of killers.†- Dr. Miskovitz, Clinical Professor of Medicine/Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and Attending Physician at the New York- Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan Interview with Dr. Miskovitz Definition: " Colorectal cancer " is cancer that occurs in the colon and/or rectum. These cancers start in the lower digestive tract. Polyps: The Source of Most Colorectal Cancers Colorectal cancer almost always develops from a benign growth, which doctors call a " polyp. " Cancer may result if the polyp is allowed to remain in the large intestine and grow. Ninety-five percent of colon cancers are thought to originate from a polyp. If polyps are found and removed when they are benign, the person will not develop colon cancer from them. If a benign polyp develops into a malignant tumor, the cancer cells have the ability to leave the original tumor site and travel ( " metastasize " ) to distant locations in the body and invade other organs. Colon cancer is often fatal if the cancer cells have spread unchecked through the lymphatic system or bloodstream to adjacent and/or distant tissues. Colorectal cancer has a strong tendency to metastasize to the liver, which represents the leading cause of death for people with the disease. The lungs are also a frequent site of distant metastasis, followed by the adrenal glands, ovaries in women and then bone. Early Screenings and Detection are the Keys to Survival and/or Cure The majority of colorectal cancers would likely have been avoided if the people had only undergone regular and appropriate screenings. Colon cancer kills nearly 60,000 Americans every year and, in adult men, these cancers are second in prevalence only to lung cancer. In women, colon cancer is the third most prevalent cancer, after lung and breast cancer. It is tragic that the vast majority of the deaths were avoidable if the people had only undergone the relatively minor inconvenience of periodic screenings. Many of those people saw or heard public service announcements urging periodic screening tests, yet didn't act. Don't let that be you or a loved one. Make sure you know all your risk factors and have screenings, as recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) and specialists. By taking charge of your health, you can markedly decrease the chance that you will die from colorectal cancer. Prevalence of Colorectal Cancer by Regions In the US, the incidence of colon cancer is higher in the North and East, but that is little comfort to those in the West and South who develop colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is more prevalent in Asia and Latin America than it is in Africa. It is not clear whether this is due to genetics, diet or lifestyle, or a combination of these factors. Colorectal Cancer Treatments - Great Promise for the Future Current treatment for colorectal cancer does not afford the patient as many options as breast or prostate cancer. A woman with breast cancer can often make a decision whether to have a mastectomy (removal of the entire breast) or lumpectomy (removal of a targeted part of the breast). A man with prostate cancer, depending on the stage of his cancer, can wait and see before deciding on treatment with his doctor or have the prostate removed. With colon cancer, the only choice is to remove the cancer, whether it is confined to a polyp or has spread into the colon wall. There have been advances in non-surgical treatment of advanced colorectal cancers, like new ways to administer chemotherapy so that people can usually be treated on an outpatient basis. There are also better drugs to treat the nausea caused by chemotherapy, and drugs to increase abnormally low red and white blood cells. Increasing the red blood cells can help restore energy, and increasing the white blood cells can help avoid serious infections. One of the most exciting breakthroughs has been in the development of a new class of cancer treatment drugs that are called " angiogenesis inhibitors. " These choke off development of the blood vessels that cancers need to survive and grow. Researchers are looking at ways to stimulate the immune system so that it can more effectively challenge colorectal and other tumors. Research also continues into gene therapies, which could not only result in novel ways to treat colorectal cancer, but could enable a defective gene to be corrected before it causes a polyp to become cancerous. Survival Rates The newer drugs for more advanced colorectal cancer may be safer and more comfortable. But, the somber reality, as leading Gastroenterologist and co-author of What to Do if You Get Colon Cancer: A Specialist Helps You Take Charge and Make Informed Choices, Dr. Miskovitz , advised CBS Cares, is that someone diagnosed with colon cancer today has comparable chances of survival to someone who was diagnosed in 1975. This further reinforces the crucial role of routine screenings and early detection if cancer is present. As previously mentioned, colorectal cancer can be prevented through routine screening and polyp removal. If the polyp has become cancerous, early detection and treatment dramatically affects survival. For example, individuals diagnosed with colon cancer in the earliest stage of the disease have a greater than 90 percent chance of beating it. By contrast, another study has shown that with traditional colorectal treatments, only ten percent of patients are alive after five years if the cancer has spread to distant organs. Too many people delay or avoid routine screenings, as evidenced by the fact that only four in ten colon cancers are currently diagnosed at the early, most treatable stage. The Symptoms and Signs Many colorectal cancers present no symptoms for a considerable time and, when they do, vague abdominal discomfort is so commonplace patients may ignore it. Colorectal cancer may also be signaled by a change in bowel habits, obstruction of the bowel, blood in the stool and iron deficiency related anemia. The symptoms of colorectal cancer can also easily be confused with those of non cancerous conditions - for example, diverticulosis, colitis, hemorrhoids and irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms can provide a clue that someone has colorectal cancer and anyone with serious or persistent gastrointestinal symptoms should see their doctor. But the presence of symptoms does not necessarily mean that someone has colorectal cancer and the absence of symptoms does not mean that colorectal cancer is not brewing. The ACS and experts all agree that routine and periodic screenings are, by far, the most reliable approach to detecting colorectal cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 THANK YOU FOR THIS MESSAGE, I COPIED IT AND SENT IT TO MY DAUGHTERS, ONE HAD GOTTEN IT DONE, NEED TO IMPRESS ON THE OTHER ONE TO DO IT. - Hanky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2005 Report Share Posted August 19, 2005 THANK YOU FOR THIS MESSAGE, I COPIED IT AND SENT IT TO MY DAUGHTERS, ONE HAD GOTTEN IT DONE, NEED TO IMPRESS ON THE OTHER ONE TO DO IT. - Hanky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.