|
||||||
|
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, yet the disease is largely preventable. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the specialists at the Missouri Digestive Health Center in Columbia, Mo., remind everyone of the importance of colorectal screenings. The American Cancer Society estimates 154,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year. Beginning at age 50, men and women are encouraged to have regular colorectal screenings. These screenings can detect precancerous polyps, so they can be removed before developing into cancer. The Missouri Digestive Health Center at the University of Missouri Health Care offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach with teams of specialists including gastroenterologists, hepatologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists and nurse clinicians. Leading these teams are MU School of Medicine faculty members Jamal Ibdah, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and the Raymond E. and Vaona H. Peck Chair in Cancer Research; and Bruce Ramshaw, M.D., chief of the Division of General Surgery and the John A. Growdon Distinguished Professor of Surgery. The Missouri Digestive Health Center team includes specialists in the areas of liver diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases and neuromuscular disorders such as swallowing difficulties. Colorectal cancer screening is also available to patients. “There is a high prevalence of colorectal cancer in Missouri, but we estimate nearly 70 percent of those eligible for colorectal cancer screenings do not have the test performed,” Ibdah said. “We hope to improve those numbers through our colorectal cancer-screening program and outreach programs.” The Missouri Digestive Health Center also provides various locations for convenient patient access. With newly renovated space at University Hospital, the endoscopy suite features four procedure and 13 patient rooms equipped with the latest technology used to discover, evaluate and treat digestive diseases. “Our newly renovated endoscopy center at University Hospital provides convenience and privacy to our patients,” said Ibdah. “We offer the most endoscopically advanced center with cutting edge technology in the state of Missouri.” Gastrointestinal procedures are also performed at Columbia Regional Hospital, on the east side of Columbia, and at Fairview Clinic, on the city’s west side. Currently one procedure room is available at Columbia Regional. Renovations will provide two state-of-the-art procedure rooms for patients in 2007. An expansion is also under way for completion in 2007 at the Fairview Clinic with the construction of a freestanding endoscopy lab and clinics. Ramshaw believes patients will benefit most from the collaboration among experts in a variety of specialties. “With current and newly hired faculty in the gastroenterology, surgical oncology and general surgery, a multidisciplinary team can offer a patient with a colon mass the most comprehensive group of treatment options available,” said Ramshaw. The Missouri Digestive Health Center is supported by three new minimally invasive surgical suites at University Hospital. “These new operating rooms provide the most sophisticated resources to our patients,” said Ramshaw. “Patients now have the most progressive health care available right here in mid-Missouri.” “I think it’s very important for our digestive center to be convenient and accessible to patients,” Ibdah said. “By providing three different locations - all staffed with experts for various digestive disorders - we give more options to our patients and are able to fit their health-care needs. With our talented team, we have complete care available right here in mid-Missouri. This is the first major step toward placing University of Missouri Health Care at the forefront of leading treatment in gastrointestinal therapies.” For information about scheduling a colorectal screening, please call the Missouri Digestive Health Center at (573) 882-8788 or toll-free at 1-866-442-8685. University of Missouri Health Care’s system of hospitals, clinics and telehealth sites employs approximately 6,000 clinicians, scientists, educators and other health professionals. The system includes University Hospital and Clinics, Children’s Hospital, Columbia Regional Hospital, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center and University Physicians, all based in Columbia, Mo. The health system also includes a long-term acute care facility, Missouri Rehabilitation Center, in Mount Vernon, Mo. Academic affiliates of the health system include the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, Sinclair School of Nursing and School of Health Professions. Other affiliates of the health system include Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, Mo.; Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Mo., and Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville, Mo. |
|||||
|
||||||
