"The world celebrates Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this month of March. This symposium is part of an awareness campaign to promote colorectal cancer screening which is the third most common cancer among Filipinos. The Colorectal Clinic at The Medical City aims to be part at the forefront of the Filipinos battle against colorectal cancer. Our message is that cancer screening can save lives. This strategy has been shown to reduce colorectal cancer risk by as high as 70 percent." ~Dr. Jun Ruiz, Gastroenterologist and one of the specialist from the TMC Colorectal Clinic
It was not just a privileged but a gift as well to be invited on the symposium, i got to meet some of the doctors who specializes in Colorectal Cancer perfect for the celebration of colon cancer awareness month, premier health institution The Medical City (TMC) holds a symposium last March 14, 2017 tittled "Advances in the Screening and Management of Colorectal Cancer" at the Augusto Barcelon Auditorium.Organized by the TMC Cancer Center, the Colorectal Clinic, and the Center for Patient Partnership.
Colorectal cancer also known as bowel cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). A cancer is the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss, and feeling tired all the time.
Dr. Jun Ruiz, Gastroenterologist and one of the specialist from the TMC Colorectal Clinic
Most colorectal cancers are due to old age and lifestyle factors with only a small number of cases due to underlying genetic disorders.
Some risk factors include diet, obesity, smoking, and lack of physical activity. Dietary factors that increase the risk include red and processed meat as well as alcohol. Another risk factor is inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
It typically starts as a being tumor, often in the form of a polyp, which over time becomes cancerous.
Treatments used for colorectal cancer may include some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Cancers that are confined within the wall of the colon may be curable with surgery while cancer that has spread widely are usually not curable, with management being directed towards improving quality of life and symptoms.
Dr. Manuel Francisco T. Roxas, Chairman of the Department of Surgery and consultant-director of the Colorectal Clinic
Different topics had been discussed including:
- Updates in Diagnosis and Screening of Colorectal Cancer
- Recent Technological Advances in Colorectal Surgery
- Hitting the Target in Colorectal Cancer Treatment
Dr. Beaitrice J. Tiangco, The Medical City Oncologist
It was indeed a very inspiring and encouraging words of motivation for a person who has and undergoing Colorectal Cancer... that no matter what there are such words and medicine as Curable, Extendable and Improvable.....
One of the living proof that there is hope in Colorectal Cancer is Mr. Christian Guerrero, who undergone surgery and well maybe not totally cured but at least he had surpassed the stage wherein he is now much more aware, protected and being taken cared of with the Doctors of TMC.
One of the main highlight of the event is when Dr. Enrique A. Tayag together with the other Doctors had their moment to dance after his speech during the symposium...
Dr. Enrique A. Tayag
Just like the old saying goes "Prevention is better than cure" indeed nowadays with the latest in technology there are a lot of new machine that can easily do the job for medicine as well as for Doctors. I had learned a lot from the symposium it may not directly have a concern on me but for my family i can impart them the knowledge i had learn from the Doctors. I just wished one of them could be my personal doctor and can afford the cost. Because i had an Aunt who had in breast cancer and due to lack of financial during her illness she lasted about more or less 2 years after her surgery but we made sure it was long well lived. What i wanted for the Filipino people specially the less fortunate one's is that a medicine, machine and or cure that is readily available and cost wise. What a wonderful world it would be!!!!!
A giant colon balloon is being displayed at the TMC foyer.
*Photo credit to Dr. Jun Ruiz
For inquiries, you may call the Colorectal Clinic of The Medical City at 9881000 ext. 7789.
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