SYVCH Urges Early Screenings to Prevent Colorectal Cancer
Public Invited to free presentation on Thursday, March 28, 2013 in Los Olivos >>   In observance of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) and the Los Olivos Rotary Club are sponsoring a free public presentation given by Dr. Thomas V. Aguirre.		"How Colonoscopies Can Save Your Life" Dr. Thomas V. Aguirre Thursday, March 28, 2013, 5:30 p.m., The Grange Hall 2374 Alamo Pintado Avenue, Los Olivos.
Dr. Aguirre, along with Edward S. Bentley, M.D., Donald T. Rink, M.D, and Gary M. Van Deventer, M.D., all currently practice at the Physicians' Clinic at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital in Solvang and perform colonoscopies.
Michael Van Dyck, a Solvang dentist and avid horseman   credits a colonoscopy for saving his life.   "I had my first one at age 52 and received a clean bill of health for ten years. As the time approached for the next one, I started to get some unusual symptoms. I scheduled another colonoscopy, and there it was: a stage II adenocarcinoma!  Thankfully, my internist had been right on top of things and we caught the cancer quickly," Van Dyck explained.   Surgery was performed to remove the cancer and part of Van Dyck's intestine.  Because the cancer was found early and the lymph nodes were clear, chemotherapy wasn't necessary.  He made a full recovery and is living cancer free today.  Van Dyck stated, "I've had three colonoscopies now and the great staff at our local Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital made them so easy. I know a lot of people, especially my rough and tough cowboy friends, who are resistant to getting the procedure but they shouldn't be. I watched all three of mine on the monitor and never felt a thing!  If you are over 50 or have had colon cancer in your family and have been putting it off, don't wait any longer. Talk to your doctor. A colonoscopy could save your life like it did mine."		Michael Van Dyck
"Over a lifetime, one in 18 people get colon cancer. When detected through screening in patients that have no symptoms, it is highly curable," explained Dr. Edward Bentley, a gastroenterologist. "It is also one of the few cancers that can be prevented by identifying and removing pre-cancerous polyps. Colonoscopy is the most effective screening test for diagnosing early colon cancers and detecting and removing pre-cancerous polyps."   Dr. Van Deventer remarked, "Colon cancer is curable if detected early. For example, a few young female patients under age 50 have been referred to me by their gynecologist with symptoms and we have been able to detect it with a colonoscopy and treat it successfully."   Appointments to see specialists and to have a colonoscopy at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital in Solvang can be scheduled by calling 805-686-3961.   According to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, colon cancer is the third leading cancer killer in the United States, yet is a preventable and treatable disease if diagnosed in its early stages.  Screening should begin at age 50. However, if you have a family history of colon cancer or polyps, or if you have other risk factors, screening should begin before age 50. A 2012 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed the death rate from colon cancer was reduced by 53 percent for patients who had a colonoscopy and had pre-cancerous polyps removed.   This information is being shared with all providers of health care in the area, including the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health, to assist in the development of programs and services based upon the data obtained and the opportunities identified.  032213