What's New
Dr. Oz shares story of his cancer scare in Time Magazine
Mehmet Oz, MD, FACS, authored an autobiographical feature article in Time Magazine's Health Special: Cancer, published June 2, 2011.
In this personal account of his colon cancer scare, Dr. Oz shares his experiences as a patient facing frightening uncertainties associated with cancer — and what happens when test results are not what one hopes for.
His engaging story of how he became a 'bad patient' helps readers to understand just why many of us may put off cancer screenings, even when we know that doing so may be very risky.
With humor and compassion, Dr. Oz offers a blend of information, support, and encouragement to do what we know we need to do, should we fall into a particular age or risk group in which cancer screening would be advised.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has taken a leadership role in clinical innovations that are improving outcomes and lessening the risks of therapy in colorectal cancer.
Radical resections, for example, are being replaced with several different types of minimally invasive procedures.
At the same time, some of the newer targeted medical therapies are dramatically building on the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy with very tolerable side effects.
Ninety percent of colorectal surgeries are performed laparoscopically at the Colorectal Care Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
Yet even minimally invasive surgery inflicts trauma on the body.
Investigators in the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery are aggressively working to reduce this downside of surgery through a host of cutting-edge studies.
Visualizing Better Care: PET for Colorectal Cancer
Positron emission tomography (PET) has played a significant role in improving outcomes for colorectal cancer patients.
"PET helps us to determine whether or not someone is a surgical candidate, by revealing whether the disease has spread elsewhere," reports Tracey D.Arnell,MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
"We often use PET to investigate suspicious findings on a CT or chest X-ray."
Read about Healthpoints: PET for Colorectal Cancer (page 4)  .
John Smith |
When occupational therapist John Smith turned 50, his primary care physician recommended that he have a colonoscopy.
Much to his surprise, the results showed stage I colon cancer.
Knowing he needed to undergo surgery, Mr. Smith came to Columbia for a second opinion and to learn more about laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
During his visit, Mr. Smith learned that Columbia surgeon-investigators were conducting a clinical trial that could help boost the immune system around the time of surgery.
The trial was randomized, meaning that Mr. Smith would not know whether he received the treatment or a placebo.
He chose to participate because he realized that the trial could benefit other people one day and because it shifted his focus to the positive—toward boosting his immune system.
Novel Colorectal Cancer Vaccine Trial
Columbia is the only center in the New York area to participate in a study of the efficacy of a tumor vaccine in the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Eligible patients have metastatic colorectal cancer who but have not yet been treated with chemotherapy (other than adjuvant chemotherapy) for a phase II clinical trial.
All patients will receive standard chemotherapy with or without a new vaccine, manufactured by Aventis Pasteur.
The hope is that the vaccine will activate the body's immune system to eliminate cancer cells that may not be eradicated with standard chemotherapy.
For more information, or to refer a patient, please call 1.212.342.0232, or e-mail gd2023@columbia.edu, and mention the ALVAC study.
Pelvic floor disorders — bowel and urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and prolapsed pelvic organs — if untreated, can make daily life absolutely miserable.
However, because these conditions are difficult to discuss, even with a physician, many people suffer needlessly, sometimes for years, even though there are effective treatments for these conditions.
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia has created a new, comprehensive Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Program to treat these and other colorectal disorders and diseases.
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