Patient Dennis Smith, age 60, is very lucky. After his wife urged him to have a routine colonoscopy, he was shocked to find that he had a huge polyp that was going to require removing part of his colon.

He was referred to UCLA where instead of surgery, doctors performed a cutting-edge technique which combines laparoscopy with a colonoscopy and has only been done at a few centers around the country. The team was able to remove the polyp minimally-invasively.

“Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death, but it can be prevented with early screening or cured with early detection,” said Dr. Yoo, assistant professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who performed the new combined procedure with UCLA gastroenterologist Dr. Eric Esrailian.

While Esrailian performed the colonoscopy to remove the polyp, Yoo watched the outside of the colon via a tiny laparoscopic camera placed inside the body through three tiny incisions on the outside of the abdomen. The procedure took place in the operating room and Yoo was ready to address any problems such as bleeding or perforation of the colon, which are risks with removing a polyp of this size and position. The procedure went off without a hitch.

“This combined procedure may be used with patients diagnosed with polyps that are difficult to remove, polyps that are flattened against the colon wall or in hard-to-reach places,” said Esrailian, assistant clinical professor of digestive diseases, Geffen School of Medicine.

Smith was relieved to avoid the risks and complications of a major surgery and was even more thrilled to discover that the polyp was benign – generally polyps of this size have a higher risk of being cancerous. He had the procedure a year ago and is doing great.

“While colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States, it is the most preventable major cancer. Improvements in prevention, early detection, and treatment have greatly reduced the death toll from this disease,” said Dr. J. Randolph Hecht, clinical professor of medicine and director, GI Oncology Program, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and member of the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center.

Here’s what you can do to help and improve colon health.

10 Tips to Lower Your Risk of Colorectal Cancer
1. Receive regular colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 50 if you are at normal risk.

2. If you are at higher risk — due to a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, other cancers or inflammatory bowel disease — talk to your doctor about screenings before age 50.

3. Eat between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day — from fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, nuts, and beans.

4. Eat a low-fat diet. Colorectal cancer has been associated with diets high in saturated fat.

5. Eat foods with folate, such as leafy green vegetables.

6. Drink alcohol in moderation and quit smoking. Alcohol and tobacco in combination are linked to colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers.

7. Exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four days a week. Moderate exercise such as walking, gardening or climbing stairs may help reduce your risk.

8. Report to your doctor any persistent symptoms such as blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, weight loss, narrower-than-usual stools, abdominal pains or other gastrointestinal complaints.

9. Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

10. For more information, please visit the Web site of the American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org.

Source: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences