Oncology Nurse Navigator Deborah Danko discusses best practices for preparing for a life-saving procedure: the colonoscopy.
Preparing for a life-saving procedure: the colonoscopy
Healing power of touch
Licensed Massage Therapist Sarah Marshall explains the healing power of touch and the positive impact it has on oncology patients.
Shine a Light on Lung Cancer
Medical Director of the Cayuga Cancer Center, Dr. Timothy Bael, invites you to Shine a Light on Lung Cancer, Thursday evening at the Cayuga Medical Center.
Test detects lung cancer at its most treatable stage
By Walter Silbert, MD
Lung cancer causes more cancer-related deaths each year in Tompkins and surrounding counties than any other type of cancer. The most important risk factor for the disease is smoking, which results in approximately 85 percent of all U.S. lung cancer cases. One of the reasons it remains so lethal is that lung cancer is not typically discovered until a patient develops symptoms at which point successful treatment is less likely. In fact Lung cancer diagnosed in its late stages has a poor prognosis and 90 percent will die from the disease. Fortunately, when lung cancer is detected early in the disease process — before the onset of symptoms — it is more responsive to treatment and patients often have a longer life expectancy.
Colorectal cancer rates rising for younger adults
By Timothy Bael, MD
Nearly 90 percent of all colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed in people over 50, but a new study funded by the American Cancer Society and the National Institutes of Health suggests younger adults should re-consider their risks for these cancers and talk to their physicians about when to have a screening test such as a colonoscopy. The study released earlier this spring is the largest and most detailed to date. It analyzed cancer incidence in 490,000 U.S. residents by birth year and found that colorectal cancer rates have been increasing for those born since 1950. The increase is a significant shift for the disease that had dropped steadily for people born between 1890 and 1950. The reason for the increase is not known.
Prostate Health Awareness
Risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer
By Sanjeev Vohra, MD
September has been designated as national prostate health awareness month, in an effort to increase public awareness about prostate screening exams and the importance of annual physicals for men aged 50 and over.
Screening for Colon Cancer Can Save Your Life
By Steven Rogers, MD
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer, and the second most common cause of cancer death. Five percent of the population in this country will develop it. Symptoms of colon cancer show up quite late in the disease process, mainly because the colon can accommodate a large tumor before bleeding or bowel-movement changes occur. The good news is that colon cancer is really preventable.
Have You Had Your Annual Mammogram?
By Kim Hwang, MD
Early detection and treatment is still our number one defense against losing lives to breast cancer. This means that monthly self-examination and yearly mammograms for women after the age of 40 save lives. And while the vast majority of breast cancers occur in women, a small percentage of men are also at risk for this form of cancer and should periodically check for lumps or alterations in appearance and follow up with the doctor should any changes occur.
The Surgeon’s Role in Treating Breast Cancer
By John Mecenas, MD
For more than two decades, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October has helped educate women about breast cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment. One of the results of this concerted national effort has been a slow decline in the overall death rate from breast cancer, even though breast cancer has become an increasingly common diagnosis affecting one in eight women.
Save Yourself from Colorectal Cancer
By Brent Lemberg, MD
Did you know that 40,000 to 50,000 people in the United States will die of colon cancer this year? It is the second most common cause of cancer death in this country, with 150,000 new cases diagnosed annually. The good news is that in the past 10 years the incidence of colorectal cancer has begun to decline. The reason is that about a decade ago, gastroenterologists started to perform many more screening colonoscopies as health insurance companies began to cover the cost.