from the Cancer Health Center

“It was no big deal. I don’t understand why people stress over it.”
“The procedure itself was totally painless and relatively easy.”
“It was a piece of cake.”
No, we didn’t pay these 50-something women to give us these comments about their first colonoscopy. All we did was ask them to tell us honestly what it was like. Given the negative perception about colonoscopy, their responses might catch a few readers by surprise. It should also make you think twice about skipping your colorectal screening test. Because the reality is that colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer among women. Since it’s also one of the few cancers we can stop before it even gets started (by removing precancerous polyps found during screening colonoscopies), the idea of missing something so clearly helpful has more than a few experts scratching their proverbial heads. And you don’t have to get a colonoscopy. Other tests are available, although they, too, are underutilized.

The main reason women don’t get recommended colorectal cancer screenings? Their health care professional never suggests it.
You’ll never find David Stein, MD, neglecting to mention colorectal screening to a patient. The colorectal surgeon at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia sees all too often what happens when people neglect their screenings. That’s why Dr. Stein is a big believer in colonoscopy. The statistics are amazing, he says. “About two percent of all colonoscopies pick up a cancer at the time of the test and about 15 percent pick up polyps,” he says. So 17 percent of patients undergoing a colonoscopy—about one in five—will have a finding that will save them from cancer in the first place or a bad outcome if they have cancer.

“Colonoscopy probably detects true cancers about one centimeter or larger about 90 to 93 percent of the time,” he says. And it’s extremely safe.

The worst part of the colonoscopy, many agree, is the prep. For years, that meant drinking a large quantity of a nasty tasting liquid (even though it came in several flavors), designed to “empty you out.” Today, however, depending on the recommendation from your colonoscopist, you may only need to take a handful of pills. You’ll still spend a few hours in the bathroom, but at least you don’t have to choke down that awful liquid.

Plus, two of the other three screening tests for colon cancer (flexible sigmoidoscopy and double contrast barium enema) also require a bowel prep and neither is as sensitive as the colonoscopy. And here’s the irony: If they show polyps or cancers, you’ll still need a colonoscopy to evaluate and/or remove them for evaluation.
The one test that doesn’t require prep is a fecal occult blood test. With this test, you collect stool samples, which are tested for breakdown products of blood in stool. You have to abstain from iron pills, red meat or broccoli before the test, and it still has a high rate of false positives. Plus, you have to do it three times. “Fecal occult blood tests probably pick up problems 50 to 60 percent of the time,” says Dr. Stein, which, of course, means it misses about half of all cancers. And if it’s positive, you still need a colonoscopy.

A newer stool test evaluates the stool for DNA from the most common mutations found in colon cancer and large polyps. That test, Dr. Stein says, is about 85 percent effective. However, it’s still considered experimental and most insurances do not cover it.

One day, Dr. Stein predicts, colonoscopy will take a back seat to an improved DNA fecal occult blood test, or to a virtual colonoscopy, in which your colon is examined via a CT or MRI. Right now, however, you still have to do a colon prep for an MRI or CT, and they’re not covered by insurance either unless you cannot undergo colonoscopy for some reason. And you face the same issue with the virtual colonoscopy as you do with any other non-colonoscopy test: If it finds something suspicious, you still need a colonoscopy to remove the “something” for testing.

For more on colon cancer, visit: www.healthywomen.org/condition/colon-cancer
© 2010 HealthyWomen All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from HealthyWomen. 1-877-986-9472 (toll-free). On the Web at: www.HealthyWomen.org.

The Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), in partnership with the Adult Congenital Care Cardiac Associates (ACCCA), presented the findings of a multi-center congenital heart disease study at ACC.10 this week, that show more than half of parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) do not understand the need for their children to receive life-long care by an adult CHD specialist at an Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) center.

The “Parental Knowledge” study surveyed 492 parents of children with certain congenital heart defects from nine pediatric congenital heart centers nationwide. More than half of these parents were found to have incomplete knowledge of their children’s future specialized health care needs.

More than one million adults in the United States live with congenital heart disease. Nearly half of them require life-long cardiac care from an ACHD specialist, yet only a fraction of that population actually receives it. Studies have shown that lapses in specialized care can last 10 years or more and may result in adverse health outcomes.

“A lapse in specialized care for people living with CHD likely includes a lack of education about their condition,” said Amy Verstappen, president and CEO of the ACHA. “It remains very difficult for us to reach out to people who have been lost to care, so we place a great importance on educating parents and families to ensure more children with CHD grow up receiving the lifelong treatment they need.”

When the Parental Knowledge survey is complete, the ACCCA and the ACHA will begin the “Life-Long Cardiac Care” educational campaign. Brochures and posters will be distributed at the research sites, as well as at other pediatric heart centers, a network of parent support groups, and online CHD-related chat rooms.

“Ninety-six percent of parents surveyed in the Parental Knowledge study were interested in learning more about their children’s future care,” said Sue Fernandes, PA-C at Children’s Hospital Boston, and the coordinator of the study. “This provides us with an excellent opportunity to develop an educational campaign and future research projects to ensure we are targeting the population most at risk of being lost to specialized cardiac care.”

Facts About Congenital Heart Disease:
• In the United States, 1 out of every 100 babies is born with a heart defect.
• Congenital heart disease is the #1 birth defect with more occurrences than Spina Bifida, Down syndrome or hearing loss, yet many are not aware of this condition.
• In most cases, scientists do not know the cause but feel both environmental and genetic factors appear to play a role.
• Today, most heart defects can be corrected or helped with surgery, medicine, or devices, such as artificial valves and pacemakers.
• In the last 25 years, advances in treatment of heart defects have enabled half a million U.S. children with significant heart defects to survive into adulthood.

For more information about the Adult Congenital Heart Association, contact (888) 921-ACHA, or visit www.achaheart.org.

An editorial that was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that people who sit for extended periods of time, either at work or in front of the TV/computer, have a higher risk of disease than those who move around more. They defined “sedentary” behavior as a lack of whole-body muscle movement as opposed to a lifestyle without exercise.

Recent research has indicated that sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time increases risk of premature death from heart disease. Women’s risk for the metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, increases 26% for every extra hour of sitting in front of the TV. Whole-body muscle inactivity is also associated with obesity and possibly some types of cancer.

So it is true that taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking your car further away and walking the extra steps is actually beneficial. Next time you need to talk to a co-worker, take a walk to his/her desk instead of sending an email or walk into the bank or restaurant instead of using the drive-thru. All extra activity counts and may actually help you live a healthier life!!

For more healthy tips visit www.heart-strong.com.

You’ll Be Amazed: For National Nutrition Month, American Dietetic Association’s Ideas For Helping Kids Develop A Taste For Healthy Food

Children learn their habits, attitudes and beliefs from their parents and other caregivers, and that includes their willingness to try new and healthy foods. For National Nutrition Month®, the American Dietetic Association encourages adults to be good role models and teach your children how to appreciate nutrition and enjoy healthful eating.

“The most important thing you can do is offer your children as many new foods as possible, as early in life as possible,” says registered dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Sarah Krieger. “It takes much longer to accept new foods when you are older.
“It’s amazing what kids will try,” Krieger says. “Hummus, beans, tropical fruits – whatever is available locally in your area, you can get your kids to enjoy it.
“Involve your children in grocery shopping and meal preparation as much as possible,” Krieger says. “Kids are more likely to try new things – especially fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products – if they are involved in choosing and preparing them.”
A survey by the American Dietetic Association Foundation showed parents have more potential to influence their children’s behavior, including their eating habits, than anyone else. In fact, parents outrank sports celebrities as the person the child “would like to be most,” according to the survey. By eating healthy foods and offering them to your children, you can give your kids opportunities to learn to like a variety of nutritious foods.
Kids can develop a liking for new dishes by researching recipe ideas. “Encourage them to go through cookbooks, or look online. There are Web sites that have hundreds of thousands of recipes you can search, and it makes meal preparation more real for children if they can find recipes themselves,” Krieger says.
One final piece of advice for parents, Krieger says: “Offer healthy foods and eat them yourself, rather than lecture your children. Just do it, put a smile on your face and your kids will follow.”

The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org for more info.