In 2009 over 49,000 people died from colorectal cancer. Yet unlike most other forms of cancer, the disease is largely preventable. People can significantly lower their risk of colorectal cancer through healthy habits and regular screening. March has been designated as “Colon Cancer Month” to raise public awareness of the disease, its causes and how to prevent it.

Who’s at Risk for Colorectal Cancer

The following factors increase a person’s risk for developing colorectal cancer:

•  Being older than 50
• Using tobacco products (either smoking or “dipping”)
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Personal or family history of colorectal cancer OR benign colorectal polyps
• Personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Family history of inherited colorectal cancer

Reducing the Risk

Patients can take several steps to reduce their risk for colorectal cancer. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly improves colon health and decreases risk for developing the disease. Doctors recommend that patients take the following steps to prevent colorectal cancer:

• Get plenty of physical activity and regular exercise
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a high-fiber diet, rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and beans. Calcium-rich foods like low-fat milk are also important.
• Limit consumption of red meats and processed meat
• Quit smoking and using other tobacco products
• Limit alcohol consumption

In addition to maintaining personal health, patients should follow recommendations for regular pre-cancer and cancer screenings. Most patients should start regular screenings at age 50, but those with elevated risk due to family history or other medical conditions should ask their health care provider about starting sooner.

• Every five years, a virtual colonoscopy, a double-contrast barium enema, or a flexible sigmoidoscopy
• A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT)every year
• Stool DNA tests as recommended by the patient’s health care professional
• Every ten years, or after any abnormal test results, a traditional colonoscopy

This month, take the time to learn your risk for colorectal cancer and to get the proper screening.

Our kidneys regulate waste removal from our blood and serve a role in the endocrine system. When the kidneys are damaged, dialysis is necessary to regularly cleanse the blood. This damage may occur as a result of renal (kidney) cancer, internal injury or kidney disease. Depending on the cause of the kidney failure, patients may need dialysis temporarily or permanently.

The Purpose of Dialysis

Each day, the body filters approximately 1,500 liters of blood. The kidney does that filtering and routes the materials through the urinary tract to the bladder, where it is expelled in our urine. The kidneys ordinarily filter the blood in two ways:

· Diffusion: The kidneys remove toxins and other waste, such as excess minerals

· Ultrafiltration: The kidneys eliminate extra water from the blood.

Without this filtration, toxins build up in the blood, leading to coma and eventually death. Therefore dialysis is necessary any time the kidneys fail to function properly.

Types of Dialysis

There are two main types of dialysis. The appropriate treatment depends on the patient’s condition, medical history and other factors. Studies consistently show that choosing the right dialysis method makes a huge impact on patients’ health.

Hemodialysis

During hemodialysis the blood actually circulates outside the patient’s body. A catheter is inserted into the patient’s vein, siphoning the blood through a machine with a specialized filtration system. The blood then returns to the patient’s body through another catheter. Hemodialysis then, essentially works by giving patients an external, artificial kidney. The process usually takes three to four hours per week.

Prior to beginning hemodialysis, a patient must prepare properly. First, a blood vessel must be enlarged. This step is usually completed surgically. Once hemodialysis treatments begin, they can be completed at a hospital, dialysis center or in the patient’s own home. Home dialysis requires specific training and the absence of certain medical conditions.

Peritoneal Dialysis

The alternative to hemodialysis is peritoneal dialysis. Although the procedure takes longer, peritoneal dialysis gives the patient much more freedom because it can be completed at home, without multiple visits to a clinic. Patients who pursue peritoneal dialysis are generally very motivated to assume responsibility for their own care and maintain more active lifestyles. Patients who continue to travel, attend school or go to work often opt for this treatment method. It is also preferred by patients who get to tired from hemodialysis, such as children or the elderly.

During peritoneal dialysis, a sterile solution that contains glucose and minerals is run through the peritoneal cavity of the abdomen. A membrane in this cavity is semi-permeable, meaning that it lets only certain materials pass through it. The membrane acts as a filter for the blood and the sterile solution absorbs any waste materials. The solution is eventually removed from the body, along with the waste it absorbs.

Effectiveness of Dialysis

Dialysis is not as efficient as the kidneys. Patients generally must take medication and watch their food and liquid intake. Since dialysis does not completely remove waste from the blood, both men and women may experience reduced fertility during dialysis.

The only alternative to dialysis is a kidney transplant. Many patients wait for years before finding an appropriate donor. Therefore, patients should take care of their kidneys and do what they can to reduce their risk for kidney disease:

· Diabetes is thought to cause roughly half of all kidney disease. Eating a proper diet can protect people from developing Type II diabetes.

· Since hypertension (high blood pressure) is linked to approximately 25% of kidney failure cases, patients should monitor their blood pressure, exercise regularly and practice other heart-healthy habits.

· Exposure to chemicals like lead, solvents and fuels has been linked to kidney failure. Adults should try to limit their exposure, especially in industrial settings.

· Certain medications are processed in the kidneys. Overuse of these medications can contribute to kidney failure. Patients should consult their doctors regarding proper dosages for both prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Preventative care and healthy habits help safeguard the whole body, including the kidneys. Dialysis is an effective treatment option, but patients should take care to avoid kidney disease if possible.

For patients with heart disease, full recovery takes both persistence and diligence.  One key aspect of recovery is cardiac rehabilitation.  This treatment complements diet and exercise to give patients comprehensive support and guidance.  Patients who actively participate in cardiac rehabilitation enjoy advantages that go beyond merely improving heart health.

What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?

As part of American Heart Month, the week of Feb 14 to 20 is Cardiac Professionals Week and Cardiac Rehabilitation Week.  The cardiac professionals at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute would like to take this important opportunity to share the purpose and benefits of cardiac rehabilitation. 

What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?

A comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program includes counseling in a variety of areas) such as medication use, nutrition, and the disease management process), along with the development and implementation of an exercise program that accounts for a patient’s physical capabilities and limitations.  A cardiac professional also guides the patient through returning to work and overcoming other risk factors like obesity, smoking, or high cholesterol.

The goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to prevent the spread of heart disease and even reverse its effects.  Each patient’s rehabilitation therapy is unique, but usually includes the following components: 

• A tailored diet that lowers cholesterol and fat content, supports weight loss, and provides balanced nutrition.
• Support with smoking cessation if needed
• An exercise program that may include close monitoring via ECG

The treatment is ideal for patients who have angina, recent heart attacks, congestive heart failure, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, stable chronic heart failure, or balloon angioplasty (PTCA).  Doctors may also recommend cardiac rehabilitation for patients who have a pacemaker or heart transplant. 

Benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation

Patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation experience multiple benefits beyond a shorter recovery time.  They generally report a greater sense of well-being and express more optimism about future health.  Meanwhile, patients who actively participate in rehabilitation are more likely to return to work and enjoy greater function and quality of life. 

When patients comply with their rehabilitation programs and maintain their healthy lifestyles once monitored care has ended, they usually report long-term success with reducing their risk for heart-disease related conditions.  Patients’ success rates directly depend on how faithfully they follow their regimen.

Who Conducts Patients’ Rehabilitation?

It is important that qualified cardiac care professionals supervise every aspect of cardiac rehabilitation.  Generally cardiac nurses directly supervise care and check in with the patients’ doctors regularly.  At Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute, our cardiac team carefully develops treatment plans for each patient.  Our doctors and nurses work together to ensure that each patient receives the best cardiac rehabilitation services possible. 

This week, take the time to learn more about the cardiac care teams and treatments available in your area.  Their knowledge and expertise can significantly improve your heart health.

This weekend  Lawnwood Regional  Medical Center and Heart Institute opened its doors to Haiti’s injured.  The hospital offered to treat up to 8 trauma patients and 20 total patients per flight.  Through a partnership with St. Lucie County Fire District, patients received immediate transport from the St. Lucie International Airport to Lawnwood Regional Hospital. 

Lawnwood Staff Exceptionally Prepared for Trauma Care

Hospital spokeswoman Jana Eschbach noted that Lawnwood is uniquely equipped to treat serious trauma patients because it is a Provisional Level II Trauma Center.  The hospital has 18 specialty doctors and over 200 physicians ready to respond.  Dr. Danny Jazarevic brings first-hand experience of emergency trauma operations.  He served as the former head trauma surgeon of medical mass casualties in Iraq. 

The Provisional Level II Trauma Center designation means that Lawnwood provides comprehensive trauma care and offers patients 24-hour access to specialists, equipment, and personnel as needed.  In addition to the medical treatment available in a traditional emergency room, a trauma center is staffed with trauma specialists who reach trauma patients’ bedsides within minutes of the patients’ arrival.

Injured Patients Slow to Be Evacuated

So far the majority of evacuees have been missionaries who were stationed in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and relief workers who got injured during rescue efforts.  Both of Lawnwood’s evacuated patients arrived via Missionary Flights International, a non-profit agency that delivers relief supplies throughout the Carribean.  Since the earthquake, the organization has clown continuous relief flights. 

Fifty passengers arrived on the flight that bore Lawnwood’s patients.  Of those fifty, only two needed medical care.  Alan Good, a doctor who had been doing relief work in Haiti, was in stable condition, while another unidentified woman remains in poor condition. 

 Eschbach expects to treat Haitians at Lawnwood, once the US government has implemented an evacuation plan.  “Obviously, there are political issues, health issues and infection issues that would have to be worked out with the governments of both Haiti and the United States,” Eschbach told TCPalms.com.  The staff at Lawnwood is planning now, so they will be prepared once evacuees start to arrive.  Eshback said that the facility will likely treat orphaned children in the coming days. 

Photo courtesy of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers