Clinicians from around New York City discussed the dangers of a common yet often misunderstood killer at the 3rd Annual Colorectal Cancer Summit on March 2, hosted by the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The summit of the Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition (C5)—a partnership of New York City and state government health-care agencies, patient and community groups, and local health-care professionals—served to kick off Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and discuss continuing strategies for early detection and prevention of the disease among New Yorkers.
Dr. Mark Pochapin, director of The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, speaks at the C5 Summit on the Taxi Cab Colon Cancer Screening Campaign, which uses a fleet of 100 New York City taxis to remind New Yorkers to speak with their doctors about colon cancer screening.
The morning conference, held in Uris Auditorium, featured a progress report on colonoscopy use in the five boroughs, as well as updates on initiatives by the New York State Department of Health and legislative activities by the American Cancer Society. In the afternoon, members of the C5 coalition discussed ongoing projects, including screening employees of the New York City Fire Department for colon cancer, making presentations on colon cancer at hospitals throughout the city, and distributing Colon Cancer Screening Action kits that contain prevention guidelines and educational materials for patients in underserved areas. Dr. Mark Pochapin, director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, also discussed the Taxi Cab Colon Cancer Screening Campaign, which utilizes the advertising space on 100 New York City taxis, reminding New Yorkers to get screened for the disease.
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and affects men and women equally. It is the leading cause of cancer death among non-smokers. More than 147,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year and some 55,000 will die from it, with nearly 1,500 deaths in New York City alone. It is estimated that some 250,000 New Yorkers over the age of 50 have undetected colon polyps. Without early detection and treatment, up to 20,000 of these people will develop cancer in the next two decades.
Dr. Mark Pochapin; Graciela Rogerio, keynote speaker and medical news producer for WABC-TV Channel 7 News; and Dr. Antonio Gotto, dean of Weill Cornell Medical College at the C5 Summit lunch in Griffis Faculty Club.
The most effective method of prevention is the colonoscopy, a procedure that can detect potentially pre-cancerous polyps before any physical symptoms occur. The American Cancer Society, a C5 partner, recommends that people 50 or older be screened regularly, as well as individuals with a family history of the disease. Nevertheless, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, only half of New Yorkers in this age group reported ever having a test, leaving more than 1 million adults at risk for undetected colon cancer.
In her keynote address, Graciela Rogerio, medical news producer for WABC-TV and herself a colon cancer survivor, discussed what she called the "hubris of good health"—the idea that people who lead a healthy lifestyle believe they cannot get sick.
"I didn't think this could happen to me," Rogerio said, noting that a single test might have prevented the stage-IV cancer that gave her a 1 in 10 chance of survival. But she said her diagnosis forced many of her colleagues and friends to face getting screened for the disease.
"There's no greater motivation than having it come close to you," Rogerio said.
Photos by Joan Penn.