FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 12, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 13
According to data from the American
Cancer Society, doctors diagnose
around 150,000 patients with colon and
rectal cancer each year, making it the
third most common non-skin cancer.
Despite new, highly effective treatments,
the American Cancer Society still
expects colorectal cancer to cause more
than 53,000 deaths this year.
Despite these startling statistics, one
in three Americans are not up-to-date
with colorectal cancer screening. Many
people view having a colonoscopy, the
most common and effective colorectal
cancer screening, as embarrassing. That
is why Dr. Sanghyun Alexander Kim, a
surgeon at the Mount Sinai Hospital,
and a Chief of Colorectal Surgery at
Mount Sinai BI and Downtown Union
Square stresses the importance of
educating people during Colorectal
Cancer Awareness Month in March.
“People believe being diagnosed with
colon cancer or having to undergo
a colonoscopy as something too
embarrassing to talk about,” he said.
“This sort of awareness month brings
that to light and takes the shame out.”
In 2018, the American Cancer Society
recommended that colon cancer
screening begin at age 45, not 50, as
earlier guidelines stipulated. Those with
a family history of colorectal cancers
or polyps should be screened even
earlier, as well. Because early detection
can prevent colorectal cancer, Dr. Kim
encourages all patients to undergo a
colonoscopy as guideline mandates.
“The way that we treat the polyps,
if they’re early, is colonoscopy and
removal during colonoscopy, which is
so easy that people who have this done
don’t even know that they were prevented
from colon cancer,” said Dr. Kim.
If doctors can remove polyps during a
colonoscopy, they can prevent patients
from developing colon cancer. But
even if the polyps become cancerous,
Dr. Kim says patients can avoid more
invasive traditional surgeries with early
detection. With advanced robotic
techniques, Dr. Kim offers minimally
invasive treatments. Patients can have
their colon cancer removed through
a number of small holes made on
abdomen and only need to stay in
hospital over a weekend. He can also
remove rectal cancers through a Trans-
Anal device, sparing patients of major
and complicated abdominal surgery.
“With state of the art Robots, we can
see capillary blood vessels, the smallest
blood vessel in the body. We can also
see (observe) the smallest nerves in the
pelvis. Modern technologies enable
us to perform more precise therefore
thorough and safe cancer operations”
Dr. Kim added.
With recent advancements, nearly
all patients are candidates for surgery,
regardless of how far their cancer has
progressed. But patients with more
advanced forms of colorectal cancer
require more invasive procedures
and sometimes need to undergo
chemotherapy and radiation in
advance before surgery. Regardless
of the cancer’s progression, new
developments have made all treatments
more effective and less invasive.
Carmen Fong, MD
Assistant Professor, Colorectal Surgery
“The other truly remarkable
development of recent years is that
our patients are no longer dying of
colon malignancies even when their
disease is discovered moderate to late.
With modern surgery combined with
chemotherapy, we can still treat them
and allow the patient to maintain the
quality of their lives,” he added.
Dr. Kim has been one of the busiest
surgeons at Mount Sinai hospital,
a top-ranked institution for colon
surgery in the United States. Because
he practices at such a well-known
institution, Dr. Kim has treated patients
from all over the east coast.
“I think most people in the US know
that Mount Sinai has a pretty extensive
history – we are ranked as one of the top
hospitals in the US for a lot of different
specialties,” he added. “Because of
that, we have a lot of complicated
patients seeking help from us. And due
to having seen complicated patients
from the entire east coast, we have a
lot of advanced technologies.”
Dr. Kim hopes that these recent
advancements in surgical technology
will ease the worries of patients who
are afraid of colorectal cancer treatment
and screening. After all, patients can
avoid surgery altogether – or at least can
undergo a high-tech, minimally invasive
procedure instead of traditional surgery
– when doctors detect colorectal cancer
in its early stages.
“That’s why I think that having March
as the month of colon cancer awareness
is great. But we should do this year
round,” he said.
Sunghyun Alexander Kim, MD
Chief, Division of Colorectal Surgery
Specialists Urge
Adults To Stay Up To
Date With Colorectal
Cancer Screening
Early detection can save your life!
Manhattan: 10 Union Square East – (212) 420-3960
Queens: 135-16 Roosevelt Avenue – (718) 559-0312
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