Some Great News! 11/05/2009
 
There's a new weapon out there against metastese to the liver from colon cancer and for liver primary tumors.  In the past, those who weren't eligible for liver resection had several options open to them, one of which was radio frequency ablation (rfa) which used radio frequency to kill the tumors from the inside out.  The problem was, the cells at the margin often survived and caused recurrence.

Now there's a new treatment called Covidien Evident Microwave Ablation that uses microwaves to heat the tumors in a similar manner to RFA.  BUT the procedure is more effective, according to a study, at killing cells at the margin, leading to few recurrences.

Here's a link to the article.  One more weapon, folks!

http://www.ksmu.org/content/view/5458/66/
 
 

This video (30 seconds...short!) makes a sharp point about getting screened for colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy.  I was two years shy of the "screening date" for colon cancer, typically 50 years old.

If you have a family history of cancer of any type (or several types), insist on getting screened at 45...even if you have to pay for it yourself.  If you don't have a family history of cancer, get screened no later than age 50.  Several folks I know have been screened since I was diagnosed.  Two had polyps that could have turned into cancer.

As Terence Howard points out, this cancer is preventable with screenings.  Believe me, you don't want to wait for tumors to grow and spread.  Chemo isn't as bad as it used to be...treatments are better at extending life.  But you don't want to go there.

So get your butt screened!

 
 

An interesting and cautionary study for those who've had polyps removed from their colon (especially from the right side and if the polyps had "villous features."  Villous features are hairlike protrusions (from what I can parse from the dictionary.

Please click here to read about the stats...and if you've had five or more polyps removed, if you're older than 55, or if your polyps had hair...don't wait 5 years for your next colonscopy.

 
Warning Signs 03/06/2009
 

There are many warning signs of colon cancer that people tend to overlook.  This link provides a list of physical symptoms that warrant investigation.  The "bottom line" (pun intended) is don't assume that bleeding or stomach issues are benign.  Especially if there's a history of ANY cancer in your family (not just colon cancer).

Cover your butt!

 
 

There are some EXTREMELY important facts cited in the Congressional Resolution officially recognizing March as Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

Among them, that only 39% of colon cancer patients have their disease detected at an early stage.

Read the resolution by clicking here.  And make sure you've been screened if you're over 50.  If colon cancer can happen

 
 

There are three bills before Congress right now to fund colon screenings for folks who could otherwise not afford them.

As with many cancers (breast, prostate), one of the critical components to treating colon cancer is early detection.  These bills will help with that process.

Please click here and join me in advocating for this cause.

 

 
 

In my research and reading, I'm finding a lot of evidence for connection between a typical American/Western diet (which, admittedly, I started backing away from about 5 years ago), and colon cancer.

The subject of diet and cancer incidence at least bears checking out imho.  Here's a link for those who are interested in finding out more:

http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/dr_lenz/2009/01/avoid_western_diet

 
 

There's so much good information out on the web and in books about colon cancer, my body's (apparent) disease of choice, that I would be wasting my time to try to recreate it here.  So this colon cancer Blog will not be a wiki or anything of the sort regarding this disease.

Instead, I intend to share news I believe will be helpful to folks who are interested in prevention, in determining their risks, or who may (like me) have colon cancer and need some handy links they haven't run across yet.

Today's entry?

A link to a new tool that helps predict one's risk for colon cancer if you are:

A. Over 50

B. Non-hispanic and White.

(I don't make the tools, I just share them so please know I'd rather have a tool that's much more comprehensive/covers more racial groups to share).

Here's the link.  http://www.cancer.gov/colorectalcancerrisk/

Check it out if the shoe fits.

 
First Post! 01/12/2009
 
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