Transcript: Colorectal Cancer - Dr. Ben Mizrahi

00:00 Jayme Monacelli: This is Med Talk presented by HCA Midwest Health. I'm Jayme Monacelli with Dr. Ben Mizrahi, colorectal surgeon. We're talking about colorectal cancer and how robotics changes the face of colorectal surgery. Did you know that colon and colorectal cancers are the only cancer that is actually preventable? And, sadly in recent years, reports have consistently shown that colorectal cancer rates have been rising in Americans under the age of 55. In fact, studies find that not only are cases increasing, deaths from colorectal cancer are also on the rise in this age group, and combined with colon cancer, it is the number two killer of all cancers. That is a lot to take in. And when I read that study, and I hear about it, it's a surprise to me. So when you hear this, were you surprised about this study? We hear so much about breast cancer and heart attacks, but what do you think about those stats? 

00:51 Ben Mizrahi: Yeah, it's truly astonishing, and it's sad, but the good news is that it is preventable. And if caught early, you can make a big difference, especially in colorectal cancer.

01:00 JM: Since you brought it up, and we were talking about colonoscopies, we hear stories about the dreaded colonoscopy. We need to change the perception of it. What should people expect? 

01:10 BM: Well, you hear a lot of bad things about it, but truly it's- The hardest part is, one, making the appointment. Two, the prep that you have to take the day before. But other than that, when you come in, you take the best nap of your life, it's about 20 minutes, the procedure's over, and you find out the results right then and there. And you get a great piece of mind of knowing that you're- Either nothing was found, or if something is found, something can be done about it.

01:35 JM: Who should be getting colonoscopies? 

01:37 BM: Well, it's, as they say, you really cannot pick your parents. If you have genetic history or family history, those are people that should get routine colonoscopies. Unfortunately, with colorectal cancer, symptoms are not always noticeable. So listen to your body. If you do have symptoms, you should schedule a colonoscopy. And, lastly, if you're 45, those are the new recommendations, regardless of symptoms or not, you should schedule one.

02:05 JM: I think we can't stress enough how that is the way to prevent and to see if you have it. That is the way to find out if you have a problem to worry about, that idea that this is the one that is preventable.

02:17 BM: Correct. It's one of those things where, in medicine there's not a lot of things that once you find it, it depends on when you find it. And if you find it early enough, I can truly, truly cure you.

02:29 JM: Let's talk about the elephant in the room a little bit. Why aren't people getting colonoscopies? 

02:34 BM: Well, no one likes to talk about poop. You don't want to talk to it about your- To family members, to your friends, never mind going out to pay someone to talk about it. So really it's the stigma of talking about your bowel habits. But I think that more and more people are noticing, and it's becoming more relevant, that it is a second leading cancer, that people do want to talk about it.

03:00 JM: Let's put some of those symptoms out there that people should be looking for.

03:02 BM: Correct. So, the most that... If I would say, the top three symptoms are, one, change in bowel habits. If you're a regular and all of a sudden you're constipated, that is a pretty telling sign. Lastly, or secondly, bleeding. Bleeding can be benign anal-rectal disease, but you also wanna make sure it's not anything such as a cancer. And, lastly, weight loss. That is also something people should look for.

03:26 JM: What kind of weight loss would be a red flag? 

03:28 BM: Well, if you're on a diet, good for you that you're losing weight, or you're being more healthy. But if you're losing significant amount of weight over the last month to three months, that's something that's significant.

03:41 JM: We are hearing more and more about robotics. So let's talk about how that's changing the face of cancer and why you like this over any other procedure.

03:49 BM: It's truly great technology. It allows me to do big surgery with small incisions. Traditionally, when you had colon cancer, you would have to have a big incision, it takes a lot to heal, slower recovery, longer stay in the hospital. However, with the da Vinci system, I'm able to do the same surgery probably better with less recovery time.

04:13 JM: Tell me more about that system. There's a lot of buzz surrounding it, what does that system involve? 

04:17 BM: Well, it's truly the latest and greatest in minimally invasive surgery. What I tell patients, everyone's heard of laparoscopic surgery, but robotic surgery is that on steroids. It's a machine that allows me to technically do the procedure better, see better, get to where I need to see, especially for me down deep in the pelvis, and hopefully even in some patients, avoid a permanent colostomy.

04:42 JM: What does that mean for the patient? In terms of pain, in recovery time, and what they experience.

04:46 BM: They truly have very little pain, if any. In fact, many patients I write for a prescription for pain meds after surgery, and they don't take it or don't fill it. And because of that, they're in the hospital a lot less time. In fact, our average stay in the hospital is about two to three days, where it used to be up to a week. And then they can get back to normal function, back to work, back to normal life a lot quicker.

05:10 JM: So, I heard that you were one of the first surgeons in Kansas City to use this system. How has that changed what you do? 

05:16 BM: Well, it was a great honor, but I could not do it without the help of HCA. They support the great technology. In fact, Menorah Medical Center is one of the epicenters in colorectal surgery for robotics. What it's done is allow me to do the procedure more efficiently, allow it to help more people.

05:34 JM: In closing, if you could give me the three must-dos for people to know to remember to prevent colon cancer, what are they? 

05:42 BM: Well, as I said, you can't really pick your parents, know your genetics. If you have family history, make sure that you get the proper screening. Also, listen to your body. If you are having symptoms, get it checked out. And, most importantly, if you're 45, schedule a screening colonoscopy.

06:02 JM: Thanks to Dr. Ben Mizrahi, colorectal surgeon, for joining us. This has been Med Talk, presented by HCA Midwest Health. I'm Jayme Monacelli.