GOOD NEWS ABOUT CANCER

Pharmacist Paul van den Berg, the Franchise holder of the Ascot Diet Clinic group explains how to detect cancer at an earlier stage in this Newsletter.

Recent advances in technology have further optimized screening tactics, which means doctors can spot cancer at a much earlier stage and thereby stop its advances faster.

Liquid Biopsy – One such blood test, known as Galleri, can detect more than 50 types of cancer by identifying DNA shed by cancer cells. Using this procedure, coupled with a screening approach can detect cancer at a much earlier stage and thereby enabling doctors to treat the disease at a much earlier stage. Surgeon Dr. Pter Attia says nobody should ever die from Prostate or Colon cancer.

AI Colonoscopies – Colonoscopies have long been the Gold Standard for colorectal cancer screening, and now Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making them even better. The screening process works a little like facial recognition software. Instead of training the AI to recognize faces, we train it to recognize potential polyps. Incorporating AI into colonoscopies reduces the risk of missing suspicious lesions by almos 50%. Some more good news is that the cure rates of early colorectal cancer are incredibly high. More than between 70% and 90% are completely cured.

Prostate MRI – once you get a PSA result indicating the possibility of cancer, the next step in figuring out what is going on has traditionally been a biopsy. Recent research has revealed that undergoing an MRI first is a better step for men suspected of having prostate cancer. For some, prostate MRI’s might even be enough to determine whether you can skip the biopsy altogether. Even when you do need a biopsy, undergoing an MRI first may help to decrease the need for additional biopsies and increase the accuracy of the procedure.

The New Rules of Colonoscopy Scheduling First Screening – if you have a family history of colorectal cancer: Ten years before the earliest diagnosis (Dad found out at the age 47, you schedule your screening at age 37). Also talk to your doctor about early screening if you have a health condition, such as Crohn’s disease, that can put you at higher risk.

PSA Scheduling – First screening – if you have more than one first-degree relative diagnosed under age 65 or genetic issues such as BRCA mutation of lynch syndrome age 40 (a first-degree relative, brother, father, diagnosed in their 40’s means you might have to go even earlier). – First screening if you have a first degree relative who was diagnosed with prostate cancer under age 65, you must do your first screening at age 45. – If none of the above applies, schedule your first screening at age 50