Katie Couric did it. President Bush did it. But if you do it you probably won't have to do it on national television (thank goodness!), and it's even less likely that you'll need to invoke the 25th amendment and transfer your powers to the vice president for a couple of hours.
The "it" I'm talking about is colonoscopy, the colon cancer screening test that's becoming one of the most well publicized medical procedures ever.
Precancerous polyps are what a colonoscopy is looking for. And of course the key word here is "PREcancerous." Dr. Christy A. Russell, a medical oncologist at the USC Medical Center puts the procedure into perspective with this comment: "The purpose of a colonoscopy is not to look for cancer, but to remove those polyps." When polyps are found and removed, a patient's chances of developing colon cancer are reduced dramatically.
Which brings us to the subject of a new study from the University of Minnesota that has important insight into how we can manage these precancerous polyps with some simple common sense when it comes to…you guessed it…our dietary choices.
Over a four-year period, the UM researchers studied 1,781 subjects at the Minnesota Cancer Prevention Research Unit. They were separated into three groups: Those that had received colonoscopies and were found to have polyps, those that had been screened and found to be polyp-free, and those that had not been screened and did not know if they had polyps. The dietary intake of all subjects was then assessed using a food frequency questionnaire.
The conclusions confirmed that a diet containing ample amounts of fruits and vegetables may be a significant factor in preventing precancerous polyps from developing into cancer. This was not a surprise. But what did surprise some was that the study also showed that a diet with high fruit and vegetable intake apparently does not prevent the polyps from occurring in the first place.
However, the results of the study did indicate that the women who drank the most juice reduced their risk of developing polyps by half. The researchers speculate that the high folate intake from orange juice probably contributed to this resistance to polyp development. But why this "juice effect" did not hold true for men is unknown. Further studies of the effect of diet on colon polyps may eventually answer that question.
In the meantime, for us women the message is clear: drink your OJ (the fresher, the better, of course). Besides the well known advantages of having plenty of vitamin C in your diet, recent studies (which I told you about in e-Alerts "C-ing Stars" 6/12, and "The Critical Second Cup" 7/1) have demonstrated how high levels of vitamin C can prevent lung deterioration and may significantly reduce the risk of stroke, especially if you have high blood pressure.
The importance of managing the development of colon polyps can't be overstated. An estimated 10% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. are the result of colorectal cancer. And even if you drink a gallon of orange juice every day, the true key to prevention of the disease is early detection. Concerning the polyps, Dr. Russell says, "If they are removed, then it's virtually certain you will not have colon cancer."
It's recommended that all men and women over the age of 50 get a colonoscopy screening every 3 to 5 years. Unfortunately this is an expensive procedure that is not covered by all insurance plans, especially for patients who show no symptoms of colon cancer. But if you're over the age of 50 - especially if any of your immediate family members have ever suffered from colon cancer - talk with your doctor and check your health insurance coverage. It may be time to take a place in that growing line that includes presidents and morning talk show hosts.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
"Fruits, Vegetables, and Adenomatous Polyps - The Minnesota Cancer Prevention Research Unit Case-Control Study" American Journal of Epidemiology 2002;155 "Veggies Slow Spread--Not Start--Of Colon Cancer" Reuters Health
"Colonoscopy an Effective Means of Preventing Colon Cancer, Doctors Say"
Associated Press
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