Physicians to present seminar on colorectal cancer awareness
An IU Health Bloomington Release
New study shows importance of colon cancer screenings
Bloomington, Ind. (March 7, 2012) – A new major medical study released recently clearly indicates that colonoscopies help prevent colon cancer deaths. The National Cancer Institute, along with several other cancer organizations, funded the study that found that in patients who had precancerous growths removed during a colonoscopy, the risk of dying from colon cancer was reduced by more than 50 percent.
To help people in our community learn about the importance of colon cancer screenings and how to reduce the risk for developing the disease, gastroenterologists from the Bloomington Endoscopy Center will present a free seminar titled “How you can prevent colon cancer” during March, which is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
“We know that screenings and earlier detection saves lives. We’ve heard this from breast cancer awareness groups for years, and it’s true for colon cancer as well,” says Jitender Bhandari, MD, medical director of the Bloomington Endoscopy Center (BEC), a partnership between IU Health Bloomington and Premier Healthcare. “Colon cancer caught in its earliest stages – 0, 1, 2 – is usually more successfully treated. At IU Health Bloomington Hospital, 57 percent of the colon cancer cases diagnosed in 2010 were caught in these early stages, but that means that there is still work to do to raise awareness.”
The seminar will be presented on both Monday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 28 at 6 pm at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center. Board-certified Gastroenterologist Amar Pinto, MD will be the guest speaker during the Monday seminar, while Bret Spier, MD, also a board-certified gastroenterologist, will discuss the topic on Wednesday.
“We don’t want colon cancer to be a topic people are afraid or embarrassed to talk about. We all need to know when we should be screened, what the symptoms are and how we can reduce our risk,” says Dr. Bhandari. “We hope these seminars will open the door to more discussions among families, couples, physicians and patients so we can catch colon cancer in those early stages.”
The event is free and open to the public, and will include a light dinner. Registration is requested by March 23 by calling 812.353.5252 or by registering online at iuhealth.org/bloomington.
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Indiana University Health Bloomington has provided leading care to south central Indiana for more than 105 years. As a not-for-profit organization, IU Health Bloomington serves a patient base of more than 415,000 people in 10 south central Indiana counties. It holds Magnet designation as well as Primary Stroke Center certification, is an accredited Chest Pain Center and received approval with commendation from the Commission on Cancer. To learn more about IU Health Bloomington, visit iuhealth.org/bloomington or call 812.353.5252.
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