Prevention is the Best Medicine

  Dr. Anna Fu, Gastroenterologist, presents at the Colorectal Cancer Awareness
Community Open House at the hospital.  

“When you consider that most people could potentially survive colorectal cancer if they simply took a screening test early on, it’s an even greater tragedy and loss of life,” says Dr. Patrick Whelan, Chief of Surgery.

  Dr. Whelan is referring to recent statistics compiled by the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada which show that in 2008 an estimated 8,000 Ontarians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and over 3,000 of them subsequently died from it.

   In an effort to encourage people to learn more about the disease and its prevention, Dr. Whelan, along with Dr. Anna Fu, Dr. Angelo Vivona, Dr. Agatha Lau, Dr. Crystal Pallister  and Dr. Michal Selucky, participated in the hospital’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Community Open House on March 24^th.
 

  Over 40 residents from the local community showed up to learn more about colorectal cancer, take part in a tour of the hospital’s Surgical Endoscopy Suite and listen to a presentation by Dr. Fu, one of the hospital’s Gastroenterologists.

  “The colorectal awareness event was very important in helping us get our message out,” says Dr. Whelan. “We were able to sit down with people from the community and let them know that one of the most important ways to beat colon cancer is to get screened and prevent the disease before it starts.” 

  The Open House also gave staff from the Surgical Endoscopy Suite a chance to profile their department and interact with patients in a non-clinical setting. Residents were able to speak with doctors and nurses one-on-one about the disease and ask questions about colorectal screening. 

  “This event was a fabulous opportunity for us to showcase the quality of our programs and services and the equipment we use in treating patients,” says Vicky Noguera, Clinical Manager of the Operating Room and Surgical Endoscopy Suite. “Our staff was very excited to be the ambassadors of our department and show people the kind of work that we do.” 

  Colorectal cancer is a disease that begins in the cells lining the inside of the colon or rectum. Without early detection and treatment, the cancer can eventually spread throughout a person’s body, making treatment and recovery nearly impossible.   People at the highest risk for colorectal cancer are those 50 years of age or older who have a poor diet, eat a lot of red meat and do little exercise. Individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer or those who have had a history of inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease are also at high risk. 

  The March 24^th community event was a great opportunity for the hospital to meet and educate residents on how to further protect and improve their health.   “Our physicians and staff members really came through for us by being a part of this event and being available to the public,” says Vicky. “It was really a coordinated effort from everyone involved that helped make the event such a success.”