MARCH 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 29
PRESS HEALTH
LIVE+WELL
UNDERSTANDING COLORECTAL CANCER
Because people of all ages and from
all walks of life can be diagnosed with
cancer, it’s important to recognize the
tireless efforts of researchers whose
work has done much to improve
survival rates for an assortment of
cancers.
Identifying the risk factors for certain
cancers, including colorectal cancer,
can help medical professionals as
they advise patients on the best ways
to reduce their risk for this deadly, yet
often preventable, disease.
The World Cancer Research Fund
notes that colorectal cancer is the
second most commonly occurring
cancer in women and the third most
commonly occurring cancer in men.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, colorectal
cancer is the second leading cancer
killer in the nation.
What is colorectal cancer? Sometimes
referred to as colon cancer,
colorectal cancer is cancer that starts
in the colon or rectum. The CDC notes
that abnormal growths called polyps
sometimes form in the colon or rectum,
and these polyps may grow into
cancer.
Why is screening so important?
Screening for colorectal cancer is so
important because it can find polyps
and give doctors a chance to remove
them before they turn into cancer.
What are the risk factors? Age is a
significant risk factor for colorectal
cancer: The CDC notes that roughly
90 percent of cases occur in men and
women who are 50 or older. In addition
to age, a personal or family history of
colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps
increases a person’s risk for the
disease.
Those factors may be beyond individuals’
control, but the good news
is that there is strong evidence that
doing certain things can decrease
the risk of colorectal cancer. According
to the WCRF, researchers
have linked these behaviors with a
decreased risk of colorectal cancer:
being physically active, consuming
whole grains, consuming foods that
contain dietary fiber, and consuming
dairy products.
It’s important to recognize that the inverse
of these behaviors can increase
a person’s risk of colorectal cancer.
The WCRF notes that consuming red
meat, consuming processed meat, consuming
alcohol, being overweight or
obese, and being tall have been linked
to an elevated risk of colorectal cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force recommends that adults with an
average risk for colorectal cancer between
the ages of 50 and 75 should be
screened for colorectal cancer. Adults
with a family history of the disease
or those with an inflammatory bowel
disease, previous noncancer growths
that may lead to colorectal cancer, or
previous colorectal cancer, may need
to be tested prior to turning 50.
Adults must recognize that threat
and discuss it with their physicians
to reduce their risk for this often
preventable disease.
-Metro Creative Connection
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness
Month.
FOR A LOVED ONE WHO FALLS, HOUSE CALLS ARE BACK
With mom and dad staying
in more, falls at home are
skyrocketing. There are ways
to help.
The Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) estimates that every 11
seconds, a senior citizen like
your mom or dad falls and ends
up in an ER, often with great
distress and pain. Falls can cause
major life-changing injuries
requiring tons of resources to
help her or him get back to some
semblance of normal life.
And those were the CDC’s
estimates before Covid-19.
With older adults becoming less
active and staying in more often,
more falls have become another
impact of the pandemic on our
silver-haired population.
“Fall prevention comes down to
one word: confidence,” says Dr.
Daniel Davids, PT, owner of The
Traveling Physical Therapist, a
local group of balance experts
providing preventive care
in the homes of Long Island
seniors. “If you can introduce
a knowledgeable and warm
therapist into the home (where
most falls happen), you can get
seniors stronger, make them
more flexible, improve their
balance. And their confidence
will absolutely skyrocket!
Elderly falls are a completely
avoidable event and are NOT a
normal part of aging.”
Dr. Davids created The Traveling
Physical Therapist to provide inhome
fall-prevention services
shortly after his grandmother
passed away from complications
related to a fall.
“No family should have to
deal with the loss of someone
they love for something so
preventable,” he says. “Like
most falls, she was home when
it happened. I wish there had
been a service like this for her.”
In-home physical therapy is
not a new idea by any means,
but The Traveling Physical
Therapist stands out because
it accepts Medicare where most
others do not.
To help reduce the fall risk of
Long Islanders, Dr. Davids
published a book, “That
Really Helpful Book on Fall
Prevention”, with tips, tricks,
and exercises seniors can do to
reduce their risk of falling. If
you’re interested in receiving a
copy, visit TheTravelingPT.com/
Falls or call 646-733-4737 and
mention the Long Island Press.
Dr. Davids will mail you a copy
of his book, free of charge. It will
help your family members move
as confidently and safely as they
did 25 years ago.
www.TheTravelingPT.com
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