Phillips Health Care Newsletter

COLORECTAL CANCER

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. Each year, more than 136,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 die of the disease.

With certain types of screening, this cancer can be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be easily and successfully treated.

RISK FACTORS

· You might be at an increased risk for colorectal cancer if you:

· Are age 50 or older

· Smoke or use tobacco

· Are overweight or obese, especially if you carry fat around your waist

· Are not physically active

· Drink alcohol in excess (especially if you are a man)

Eat a lot of red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb, or a lot of processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs or cold cuts · .Have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or benign (not cancerous) colorectal polyps

· Have a personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease 

Early stages of colorectal cancer don’t usually have symptoms. Later on, people may have these symptoms:

· Bleeding from the rectum or blood in or on the stool

· Change in bowel habits

· Stools that are more narrow than usual

· General problems in the abdomen, such as bloating, fullness or cramps

· Diarrhea, constipation or a feeling in the rectum that the bowel movement isn’t quite complete

· Weight loss for no apparent reason

· Being tired all the time

· Vomiting

PREVENTION

· Be physically active for at least 30 minutes at least five days a week

· Maintain a healthy weight and waist size

· Don’t smoke. I

· f you do smoke, quit

· Limit alcohol to no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman

· Or two drinks per day if you’re a man

· Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole

· grains, which are good sources of fiber

· Eat less red meat and cut out processed meat

Early Detection

· Begin getting screened at age 50. If you are older than age 75, ask your doctor if you should continue to be screened.

· If you are a high risk, talk to your health care professional about screening earlier and more often

Talk to your doctor about your screening test options

Tests that find

pre-cancer and cancer:

· Colonoscopy – Every 10 years

· Virtual colonoscopy – Every 5 years

· Flexible sigmoidoscopy – Every 5 years

· Double-contrast barium enema – Every 5 years

Tests that mainly

detect cancer

· Stool occult blood test (FOBT) (guaiac) Every year

· Stool immunochemical test (FIT) –  Every year

· Stool DNA test (sDNA) – ask your health care professional; the FDA approved the use of the sDNA test in  2014

· An abnormal result of a virtual colonoscopy or a double-contrast barium enema, or a positive FOBT, FIT or sDNA test, should be followed up with a colonoscopy.

We offer Stem Cell Therapy and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) therapies for injuries.

Stem Cells are renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including macular degeneration, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. Call for your complimentary 15 minute online consultation

If a cut on your skin swells up, turns red, and hurts, those symptoms are signs of acute, or    short-lived, inflammation.

Feeling hot or losing function may be signs of inflammation from other harm to your body. Some inflammation that occurs in your body’s cells or tissues may not have outward         symptoms.

Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s defense to injury or infection, and, in this way, it is beneficial. But     inflammation is damaging when it occurs in healthy tissues or lasts too long. Known as chronic inflammation, it may persist for months or years.

Inflammation may result from many factors, such as:

· Environmental chemicals

· Injuries like scrapes, insect stings, or a splinter in your finger

· Pathogens (germs) like bacteria, viruses, or fungi

· Radiation

Inflammation plays a key role in many diseases, 

some of which are becoming more common and 

severe. Chronic inflammatory diseases 

contribute to more than half of deaths worldwide.

Inflammation is associated with diseases such as the following:

Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis

Cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure and heart disease

Gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease

Lung diseases like asthma

Mental illnesses like depression

Metabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes

Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease 

Some types of cancer, like colon cancer.

HOW TO CURB INFLAMMATOIN

According to Scripts Health 

Load up on anti-inflammatory foods

Eat more fruits and vegetables and foods containing omega-3 fatty acids 

Cut back or eliminate inflammatory foods

According to Scripts Health 

Load up on anti-inflammatory foods

Eat more fruits and vegetables and foods containing omega-3 fatty acids 

Cut back or eliminate inflammatory foods

Inflammatory foods include red meat and 

anything with trans fats, such as margarine, 

corn oil, deep fried foods and most processed foods. 

Control blood sugar

Limit or avoid simple carbohydrates, such as white flour, 

white rice, refined sugar and anything 

with high fructose corn syrup. 

Make time to exercise

“Regular exercise is an excellent way to 

prevent inflammation,” Dr. Gray says.

Make time for 30 to 45 minutes of aerobic 

exercise and 10 to 25 minutes of weight or 

resistance training at least four to five times per week.

Lose Weight

People who are overweight have more inflammation. 

Losing weight may decrease inflammation.

Manage Stress

Chronic stress contributes to inflammation. Use meditation,   

yoga, biofeedback, guided imagery or some other method to manage stress. 

Call 702-33-4000 for your appointment, 

or request online at PhillipsClinicLV.com