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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
  3. colon cancer

colon cancer

Two-Day Event Educates Professionals on the Latest Cancer Therapies

March 16, 2017 | For 20 years, a UAMS event has provided health care professionals with the most up-to-date information on diagnosing and treating colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers. A second day of educational sessions, combined for the first time in 2017, expanded the offerings to include overviews of several cancer-related topics specifically for primary care providers.

“We were happy to partner with the UAMS’ Department of Family and Preventive Medicine to join our two well-established programs and reach an even broader audience of professionals who care for cancer patients,” said Issam Makhoul, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Medical Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

Makhoul also serves as medical director of the Charles William Rasco, III Symposium on Colorectal Cancer and GI Malignancies, which, coupled with the Oncology Update for Primary Care, brought together more than 200 attendees March 2-3 at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. The events featured speakers from UAMS and other institutions, including Rasco Symposium keynote speaker Michael Heinrich, M.D., of Oregon Health Sciences University, who addressed the topic of gastrointestinal stromal tumor therapy.

“The impact of two days of continuing education focused solely on cancer therapy is invaluable for our physicians, nurses and other health care providers. By using the expertise of our own physicians and outside experts, we can educate each other on the latest advances and ensure our patients receive the most advanced care possible,” said Alecia Hamilton, CME director for the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Oncology Update topics ranged from lung cancer screenings and sexual dysfunction to medical marijuana, while the Rasco Symposium addressed issues such as pancreatic cancer surgery, living with colostomy and serrated colonic polyps. A. Mazin Safar, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology, served as Rasco Symposium curriculum director, and Shashank Kraleti, M.D., assistant professor with the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, directed the content for family medicine.

Participants at the Rasco Symposium also had the opportunity to visit booths representing a number of programs and services related to research and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. The Rasco Symposium honors the memory of Charles William Rasco III, who died from colon cancer in 1994.

Filed Under: Cancer Featured Stories, UAMS News, University News Tagged With: A. Mazin Safar, Charles Rasco, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, GI cancer, Issam Makhoul, Michael Heinrich, Rasco Symposium, rectal cancer, Shashank Kraleti, UAMS, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute

Now Cancer-Free, Nurse Regrets Skipping Colonoscopy

March 28, 2016 | As a nurse, Beverly Seaberg spends her time at work caring for patients. As a wife and mother, she also makes sure her husband, John, and two daughters, Cori and Caroline receive the best health care possible. Seaberg, 58, is an R.N. in the Quality Management department at UAMS. She has worked as a nurse for 35 years. Seaberg had a clean bill of health and is generally very good about taking preventive health measures.

“I got a mammogram, a pap smear, my teeth cleaned,” Seaberg said. “I took my husband to get his colonoscopy, carried my daughters to the doctor and even took the dogs to the vet.” When she turned 50, the nurse scheduled herself a colonoscopy. “I ended up canceling that appointment,” Seaberg said. “Now I can’t even remember why.”

Five years later, September 2013, Seaberg began experiencing abdominal pain and loss of appetite. She went to her primary care physician thinking it was a bladder infection. By November, her symptoms worsened and her doctor ordered a CT scan. “The scan came back showing I had a mass in my colon. That’s when I found out I had colon cancer and needed surgery.” Seaberg has no family history of colon cancer.

While she knew the importance of colonoscopies, Seaberg says the thought of being diagnosed with colon cancer was never on her radar. The diagnosis left her feeling sad, blindsided and angry at herself. “The look on my family’s faces when I told them was almost unbearable,” she said. “Because I knew this could have been prevented if I’d had my colonoscopy. I hated to put them and myself through such anxiety.”

Jason Mizell, M.D., is a colorectal surgeon at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. He says the earlier colonoscopy almost certainly would have prevented the cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends most men and women start undergoing colonoscopies at age 50. Those at high risk for colon cancer or experiencing symptoms such as rectal bleeding, anemia or a change in bowel habits may be advised by their doctor to receive the test earlier. One of the benefits of an academic medical center like UAMS is the physicians and staff are able to provide total comprehensive care in one location at one time.

Based on the results of her pre-operative testing, it was determined Seaberg would need a team of physicians to perform a complex operation involving a colorectal surgeon and urologist, with likely an oncologist to give chemotherapy after surgery. Seaberg knew she was in the right place to appropriately treat her cancer.  Seaberg says her team of physicians was both very compassionate and caring. “I let my patients know that I’m concerned about them as a whole person, rather than just their disease process,” Mizell said. “I genuinely care about them all and they can trust they’re getting state-of-the-art high quality care right here at UAMS rather than having to travel out of state to another institution.”

“UAMS has been very good to me as an employer and as a patient. I’m thankful to have the Cancer Institute 20 minutes away from my home,” she said. Seaberg had her surgery nearly two weeks later.  It was a complex operation involving removal of the colon tumor, with a portion of her bladder as well because of the large nature of the tumor.

Her surgery went well with good results, and she started chemotherapy in January 2014. The treatment lasted six months. Her message to those she meets who express anxiety or hesitation about getting a colonoscopy is clear: It can save your life. “I know people get anxious,” Seaberg says. “But all it takes is about a day of your time. It took me several months to fight for my life after my cancer diagnosis. If you have symptoms, don’t ignore them. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones.” Today, Seaberg is back at work full time. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and volunteering in the UAMS ICU.

Filed Under: Cancer Featured Stories Tagged With: colon cancer, colonoscopy, Jason Mizell, UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute

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