Colon cancer prevention will bring LaPorte Hospital’s Mobile Health Unit to local communities this month. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and LaPorte Hospital officials will be traveling around Starke and LaPorte counties to hand out take-home test kits. They’re designed to screen for blood in the stool, which could be a symptom of cancer. Continue reading
Know Your Risk Factors During Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of death from cancer. During the month of March, health professionals are working to raise awareness of the disease by commemorating Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Continue reading
IU Health Surgeon Discusses Colon Health
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths. It’s also one of the most treatable if caught early through preventive screenings like colonoscopies. Dr. Mangalore J. Subba Rao is a general surgeon at IU Health Starke Hospital. He says many people avoid the outpatinet procedure because they fear pain. He says patients are given IV sedation and often don’t realize the procedure is going on until it is finished.
The preparation required before the procedure is also a deterrent for some people. Subba Rao admits some of the bowel preps taste bad and are expensive but says he offers his patients a less costly, better tasting option. Continue reading
A Colonoscopy Could Save You from Colon Cancer
Staff members from IU Health Starke Hospital visited the WKVI studios on Friday morning and one topic that General Surgeon Dr. Mangalore J. Subbarao discussed was the importance of the colonoscopy.
Dr. Subbarao said you can prevent colon cancer by getting this procedure.
“Colonoscopies are very important to prevent the cancer of the colon,” said Dr. Subbarao. “Colon cancer develops with the little growth called a polyp. If you remove the polyp, you have no colon cancer. If you don’t remove the polyp, it grows into a big cancer and it spreads. Then only do you have some symptoms.”
