Saving lives is goal of Vaughan Regional's colorectal cancer campaign

Selma, AL. March 13, 2009 – Colorectal cancer continues to be the second leading cancer killer for both men and women combined in the United States, even though it is 90 percent preventable and 90 percent treatable when detected early.

These figures are of great concern to care providers at Vaughan Regional Medical Center.

"We know that fewer than 50 percent of adults age 50 or older have had one of the readily available colorectal cancer screening tests within the recommended time periods," CEO Barry Keel said. "When detected at an early, localized stage, colorectal cancers are nearly 100% curable; however, only 39% of these cancers are diagnosed at this stage, mostly due to low rates of screening. We could prevent one-third of the deaths from colorectal cancer if people would just get screened."

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There are four physicians who perform colonoscopies at Vaughan Regional including: Robert Anderson, MD, General Surgery; Allen Foster, MD, General Surgery; John Indovina, MD, General Surgery; Charles Lett, MD, General Surgery

"Our physicians are telling us that we can save more lives, and we're going to focus on doing just that – by educating the public about colorectal cancer and the screening tests that are available," said Vaughan's CEO Barry Keel. "We're starting an ambitious educational campaign this spring with a goal of making sure everyone in the communities we serve knows when they should be screened.  Most people do not realize that you can actually prevent colon cancer, in many cases, by simply having a colonoscopy."

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon and/or rectum. It is equally common in both men and women - 153,760 cases were estimated to be diagnosed in 2007, with 52,180 people projected to die of the illness. It is also one of the most easily prevented cancers because it can develop from polyps that can be removed before they become cancerous.

More than 90 percent of people who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer are over the age of 50. Many insurance plans, including Medicare, help pay for colorectal cancer screening.

Polyps and colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms, especially at first.  And, like many cancers, the development of colorectal cancer can take many years which is why screening is such an important tool. Regular screening tests can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.  And screening tests can help discover cancer in its earliest, most curable stages.

"We've come so far in recent years," Keel said. "In fact the incidence rates for colorectal cancer have been decreasing for the last two decades specifically because of the increase in people having screening tests. But it's still not enough. Researchers estimate that if everyone age 50 or older received regular colorectal cancer screenings, at least one-third of the deaths would be prevented. "

How Screenings Save Lives
Experts are not in total agreement on which screening tests should be used or how often adults without known risk factors should be tested, but there is agreement on one test. "Considering all of the available literature and research, conventional colonoscopy remains the clear gold standard for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer. It allows the physician to examine the entire length of the colon, and to remove pre-cancerous polyps during the same procedure. Anyone who is 50 years of age should have a colonoscopy."

During a colonoscopy, a physician uses a slender, flexible, lighted instrument called a colonoscope to look at the inside walls of the full length of the color. If abnormalities are found, they can be removed or biopsied during the same procedure.

"Colon cancer is responsible for 10-11% of all cancer deaths. One out of every 17 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And tragically, one out of every three people who develops colon cancer will die from it; most commonly because it is diagnosed at a late stage. Colonoscopies help to prevent these deaths."

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

• The most common symptom is no symptom
• Change in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, narrow stools)
• Unexplained weight loss, vomiting, lack of energy, unexplained anemia
• Blood (often not visible) in stool or from rectum
• Abdominal pain or discomfort (gas, bloating, cramps, feeling that bowel does not empty)

In spite of all the screening tests that are available, unfortunately, overall screening rates remain low. In a recent survey of Americans over age 50 conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only 40% reported that they had ever had an FOBT and only 42% reported that they had ever had a flexible sigmoidoscopy. This compares to 85% of women who had been screened for breast cancer.

"Colonoscopy is at least as important as mammography," Keel explains. "Since colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, we could prevent great suffering if more people would take advantage of screenings that are available."

Vaughan Regional Medical Center is part of the LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. family, a leading hospital company focused on providing healthcare services in non-urban communities in 18 states. It is the sole community provider hospital in Selma, AL. Employing over 600 people, Vaughan Regional Medical Center is a 175-bed JCAHO accredited facility serving Selma's population as well as the 90,000 residents of the surrounding areas.


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