As we honor Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, what do you feel is the most important message to share with our community?
The most important message to share with our community is to make sure everyone gets their colonoscopy. Screening can help prevent colorectal cancer from developing. For those that develop colorectal cancer you will be treated by a team of specialists and there have been tremendous advancements in our treatments for this disease. Many patients will have excellent outcomes, and the earlier the cancer can be diagnosed through screening, the better people do.
How can we prioritize colon cancer prevention in our daily lives?
The most important way to prioritize colon cancer prevention is to get your colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a very powerful tool to both diagnose colon cancer early, but also to help prevent colon cancer. Pre-malignant polyps that might otherwise develop into cancer can be removed by a colonoscopy, thus preventing the development of colorectal cancer. The screening guidelines now recommend adults start colonoscopy screening at age 45.
How do you collaborate with the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center to care for patients?
The colon cancer team includes numerous members of the Smilow Cancer Hospital team. As a medical oncologist, I am often very involved in selecting the treatment plan for the patient, and when chemotherapy is necessary that is given under my care. At Smilow, I work closely with a comprehensive team of radiation oncologists, colorectal surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, pharmacists, geneticists, social workers, and nutritionists. This multidisciplinary team works together with a uniform goal of delivering the high-quality care that each patient deserves.
Mentorship is an important part of cancer research—what is your favorite way to keep your team engaged and learning from one another?
Mentorship is a critical component to all forms of cancer research. My favorite way to keep the team engaged is through collaborative meetings and presentations from diverse members of Yale Cancer Center and Yale University. At Yale we are fortunate to have numerous experts in fields ranging from the basic sciences to patient care and we can all constantly learn from each other. Our program has regular research meetings where we learn what other members of our community are doing to advance colorectal cancer research and we continually identify new ways to collaborate with members inside our Yale community as well as outside.