In a medical symposium recently held at the The Medical City Ortigas, it was revealed that Colon Cancer overtakes Liver Cancer as the Top 3 common cancer in the Philippines. Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer are still the #1 and #2 respectively while Cancer of the Cervix Uteri is #5.
The event is part of the celebration of colorectal cancer awareness month in the Philippines and the said symposium is entitled "Advances in the Screening and Management of Colorectal Cancer" it was held at the Augusto Barcelon auditorium in the premiere health institution The Medical City (TMC) in Pasig City. The event was organized by the TMC Cancer Center, the Colorectal Clinic, and the Center for Patient Partnership and was graced by Department of Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Enrique Tayag as guest of honor.
"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," says Dr. Jun Ruiz, gastroenterologist and one of the specialists from the TMC Colorectal Clinic. Dr. Ruiz hosts today's symposium.
"The Colorectal Clinic at The Medical City aims to be 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," adds Dr. Ruiz.
In an interview with select bloggers, Dr. Jun Ruiz revealed that there are 1,400,000 colon cancer cases in the world and 700,000 will die in the same year. In the Philippines, there are 8,563 cases and 4,130 deaths (data from 2012) He recommends Filipinos to undergo Colonoscopy every 5 to 10 years, depending on risk factors.
He added that Colon Cancer might be caused by genetics, unhealthy lifestyle, alcohol, smoking, obesity and age. 50 yrs old and up are at risks. Gender wise, more men are prone to colon cancer according to Dr. Ruiz.
Topics that was discussed in the said symposium include Updates in Diagnosis and Screening of Colorectal Cancer, Recent Technological Advances in Colorectal Surgery, and Hitting the Target in Colorectal Cancer Treatment. The speakers are Dr. John Geoffrey G. Palisoc, TMC gastroenterologist; Dr. Manuel Francisco T. Roxas, chairman of the Department of Surgery and consultant-director of the Colorectal Clinic; and TMC oncologist Dr. Beatrice J. Tiangco.
A giant colon balloon will also be on display at the The Medical City Ortigas foyer so TMC visitors could know more about the different part of the colon. For inquiries, you may call the Colorectal Clinic of The Medical City at 9881000 ext. 7789.
photo credit:
healthhub.sg
Thanks JayL for attending our symposium and attending our cause. Thank you for covering our event. Can you correct what you wrote that I "recommend Filipinos to undergo Colonoscopy every 2 years for prevention." It should be every 5 to 10 years, depending on their risk factors.
ReplyDeleteI also made an educational video on the colon balloon and I am putting the link below. This is from my Professional Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/drjunruiz/
Thank you Doc for the correction, I already edited the blog post. :)
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