New
Cancer
Center
Opens
at
Houston
VA
Multi-disciplinary
team approach specializes in
diagnosing and treating colorectal cancer.
HOUSTON
Colorectal
cancer, cancer of the colon or rectum, is
the second leading cause of cancer-related
deaths in the
United States
. The American Cancer Society estimates
that 56,730 Americans will die of
colorectal cancer this year. Colorectal
cancer is also one of the most commonly
diagnosed cancers in the
United States
; more than 145,000 new cases were
diagnosed in 2004. The
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
hospitalized more than 140 veterans last
year for treatment of colorectal cancer.
In
response to this serious health issue, the
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC)
has established a Colorectal Cancer
Center, the first of its type in the VA,
to ensure veterans receive timely
evaluation with diagnostic procedures and
appropriate, multiple, and innovative
treatments and therapies.
The
driving force behind the formation of the
new center is its director, Daniel Albo,
M.D., Ph.D., chief of General Surgery and
Surgical Oncology at the MEDVAMC and
assistant professor of Surgery in the
Department of Surgery at Baylor College of
Medicine. Albo assembled a multi-disciplinary
team comprised
of surgeons, hematology specialists,
surgical oncologists, nurses, physician
assistants, surgical residents, social
workers, and radiologists. Recruitment for
an additional surgical oncologist has also
begun.
Three
other key components of the new center are
a large database already established by
Albo with information on patient with
colorectal cancer diagnosed at the MEDVAMC
in the last 10 years, a large tissue
sample database, and tissue and blood
sample repositories. These tools will
allow MEDVAMC surgeons and physicians to
follow recently diagnosed patients, track
the progress of patients who have received
treatment, and analyze patient data.
Colon
and rectal cancer can be very lethal. More
than half of individuals with colorectal
cancer have a chance of reoccurrence. Of
those patients, 85 percent reoccur in the
first two and half years. Recent studies
have shown that intense follow up during
this period leads to earlier detection,
higher rates of therapeutic resection for
recurrences, and an improvement in patient
outcomes, said Albo.
The
key to colon and rectal cancer is early
detection. Common symptoms of colorectal
cancer include a change in bowel habits;
diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that
the bowel does not empty completely;
blood, either bright red or very dark, in
the stool; stools that are narrower than
usual; general abdominal discomfort,
frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness,
and/or cramps; weight loss with no known
reason; constant tiredness; and nausea and
vomiting. Most often, these symptoms are
not due to cancer. Other health problems
can cause the same symptoms. Usually,
early cancer does not cause pain. It is
important not to wait to feel pain before
seeing a health care provider.
The
goal of this new center is to ensure each
patient receives an individualized
treatment plan targeted at his or her type
of cancer with his unique situation in
mind. With our databases and analysis, we
hope to learn more about colorectal
cancer, find better ways to treat it, and
to cure it.
With
collaboration from the Baylor College of
Medicine Cancer Center, we plan on
expanding the concept of the Colorectal
Cancer Center to the other Baylor adult
affiliated hospitals St Luke's and Ben
Taub, said
David H. Berger,
M.D.,
MEDVAMC Operative Care Line executive.
