Daily Aspirin May Help Prevent Colon Cancer
In big news last week, results of a study suggest that taking aspirin daily, may help prevent colon cancer in people who have a known genetic predisposition for the disease. After five years of taking the aspirin, high-risk patients in the study had their cancer risk reduced by 50%.
Aspirin alone – whether a person is high-risk or not – is not the entire solution. Regular screening for colon cancer is a MUST. There are several types of screening tests available including CT Colonography (“Virtual Colonoscopy”) which the American Cancer includes as one of its recommended screening exams. As part of his health check, President Obama underwent Virtual Colonoscopy last year.
Canada Diagnostic has been offering Virtual Colonoscopy since 2002. All of our Radiologists have full College of Physicians & Surgeons of BC Certification to read Virtual Colonoscopy. To learn more about Virtual Colonoscopy, please take a look at our info sheet: QA – Virtual Colonoscopy.
Contact us to learn more about Virtual Colonoscopy and other screening exams available. 1-877-709-8522 or info@canadadiagnostic.com.
Knee Injuries Rise Sharply in Kids
A presentation made in October 2011 at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference showed how knee injuries in children and teens have increased at “an alarming rate”.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and meniscus tears in young people have each increased significantly over the past 10 years. What is causing this increase in diagnosed injuries? The most likely explanations are that many kids now play a single sport at a high level, year-round – increasing their chances for overuse and other injuries.
There is also increased awareness into injuries, increased use of MRI which can diagnose tears (xray cannot), and even earlier visits to an orthopedic specialist.
So, what is a parent or coach to do? There is increased emphasis on injury prevention in junior sport including screening for athletes who may be more at risk for these types of injuries. Athletes, parents and coaches should seek out injury prevention programs that can be added to the practice/training programs.
If you think your child has a knee or other injury, getting an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment will not only get them back playing sooner, but could prevent more long-term serious joint problems. Contact us today to find out how we can help. Canada Diagnostic Centres (BC) Ltd. 1-877-709-8522 / 604-709-8522 or info@canadadiagnostic.com
Stay Safe & Healthy!
CT Lung Cancer Screening – Named one of the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2012
World-renowned Cleveland Clinic just held their annual Medical Innovation Summit and have announced their Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2012- the technologies and innovations that will have the biggest impact on healthcare next year.
Did you know that Lung Cancer is the #1 cause of cancer-related deaths in North America? Lung Cancer accounts for more deaths each year than Breast, Prostate, Colon and Pancreatic cancer combined. And now we have a tool that has been shown to help reduce the number of deaths each year from lung cancer.
The #2 Innovation is CT Lung Cancer Screening which the Medical Innovation Summit says:
This high-tech scan generates a series of detailed cross-sectional images of the lungs that are used to create a three-dimensional image. These scans can not only identify tumors earlier, but also spot them when the tumors are smaller and more treatable by surgery. Surgery is the best treatment for most types of lung cancer.
If caught earlier through screening, the potential to save lives is great: Upwards of 60 to 90 percent of lung cancers are curable in the early stages. Screening for colon, breast, and cervical cancer has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from these cancers compared to those who are not screened.
Find out more about CT Scans for the Early Detection of Lung Cancer at Canada Diagnostic Centres. Call us for more information, or book your Lung Cancer Screening with us today at 1-877-709-8522 or 604-709-8522
Pain Management – Now Available!
Has your doctor discussed therapeutic injections for managing your pain?
Your doctor may have recommended a therapeutic injection to help reduce the pain you are experiencing, or to help pinpoint the source of your pain. A local anaesthetic is used to temporarily dull the pain in the area being treated and often a steroid is also used to help reduce inflammation or irritation of a nerve, tendon or ligament.
At Canada Diagnostic Centres, we use image-guidance – meaning we use either ultrasound or CT to help our radiologist ensure the most precise placement of the needle in order to maximize the success of the injection.
To ensure you are a good candidate for an injection at Canada Diagnostic, our radiologists will review your doctor’s referral and diagnostic imaging before we make an appointment with you.
Areas we treat: Shoulder / Elbow / Hip / Knee / Ankle / Lumbar Region
Contact us today to learn more:
Phone: 604-709-8522 or toll free 1-877-709-8522
Email: info@canadadiagnostic.com
CT Lung Cancer Screening Cuts Deaths
Lung cancer screening by CT, or computed tomography, can reduce lung cancer deaths by detecting the disease at early stages, a new study from the National Cancer Institute says. It was the first time researchers saw a reduction in death as a result of lung screening, experts said.
In the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), more than 53,000 current and past heavy smokers between the ages of 55 and 74 were screened for lung cancer by either low-dose CT scan or standard chest X-ray. Researchers found 20 percent fewer deaths in those screened by CT scan. The data were so statistically convincing the trial was stopped and the results released.
The results demonstrate that such CT screening could benefit older, high-risk patients, aid Dr. Denise Aberle, NLST national principal investigator for the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN).
“We have the potential to save thousands of lives,” if low-dose screening is implemented responsibly, and people with abnormalities are closely followed, Aberle said.
Trial participants smoked at least a pack a day for 30 years and had no symptoms or history of lung cancer. They were screened once a year for three years and followed for an additional five years.
“This is the first time that we have seen clear evidence of a significant reduction in lung cancer mortality with a screening test in a randomized controlled trial,” said Dr. Christine Berg, NLST project officer for the Lung Screening Study. “The fact that low-dose helical CT provides a decided benefit is a result that will have implications for the screening and management of lung cancer for many years to come.”
For more information on this visit: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/qa/2002/nlstqaQA
Interested in getting your own lung scan. Call us for more information at 1-877-709-8522 or 604-709-8522. Or visit our website.
Improve your heart disease risk
A new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC, April 12, 2011, Vol. 57:15) found that patients who had a screening CT scan of the heart which showed evidence of calcium in their coronary arteries made important lifestyle changes that helped lower their risk of having a cardiac event in the future.
A large number of studies have now shown that a Coronary Artery Calcium Score or CACS improves assessing a patient’s actual risk factors for heart attacks.
Canada Diagnostic has been providing Coronary Artery Calcium Scores since 2002. This exam is quick, painless and provides some very important information that just might save your life.
Interested in learning more? Click here or give us a call at 1-877-709-8522 or 604-709-8522.
Painful Tendon that just won’t heal? PRP may be the answer!
Have you been suffering with chronic pain because of a tendon that just won’t heal?
There’s a new technique that uses your own blood to help heal the injury and eliminate your pain.
PRP – or platelet-rich plasma – is being used by sports medicine and orthopedic specialists to help heal chronic tendinopathies. Because tendons and ligaments have a limited blood supply, there are often not enough platelets to properly heal the injury.
PRP helps eliminate that problem, by providing a concentration of your own platelets directly at the injury site that may promote healing. As the tissue repairs itself, your pain gradually subsides and functionality is restored.
But, there is even better news! An exciting new development in the world of PRP is called hcPRP or highly-concentrated platelet-rich plasma. Most PRP practitioners use a platelet concentration of 5 – 8 times the amount that normally circulates in your blood. With hcPRP, those concentrations are 25 – 45 times baseline PLUS, thrombin from your blood is added just as the hcPRP is injected. Thrombin helps activate the platelets so that they can be more effective.
Canada Diagnostic is now offering hcPRP injections at our Vancouver clinic. Our doctors use either an ultrasound or CT scanner to help them ensure that the hcPRP injection goes precisely where they want it to go – another way to ensure the treatment will be effective!
PRP / hcPRP is still considered investigational or experimental, but many of the scientific studies that have already been done show that PRP is very promising.
Visit our website or give us a call to find out more about hcPRP at Canada Diagnostic: 1-877-709-8522 or 604-709-8522
If its good enough for the President of the U.S……..
As part of his first annual comprehensive physical exam as Chief Executive, U.S. President Barack Obama underwent a Virtual Colonoscopy (VC) exam as a screen for colon cancer.
Why did the President’s medical team choose a VC over a traditional colonoscopy? The exam is safe, effective and does not require sedation or pain medication. Because there was no sedation, the President was able to maintain presidential authority. In contrast, when President George W. Bush had a traditional colonoscopy in 2007, because he had to undergo sedation, he had to transfer presidential authority for several hours to his Vice President.
You may not be governing one of the most powerful nations in the world, but knowing that a VC is the test of choice for someone who does carries a pretty strong message!
The Canadian Cancer Society advises that the death rate from colorectal cancer can be reduced significantly if patients get screened!
Colon cancer and cancer of the rectum usually begin as a small polyp. While most colon polyps are benign, some do become cancerous. Colon cancer symptoms may include a change in bowel habits or bleeding, but usually colon cancer strikes without symptoms. That’s why it’s important to get a colon cancer screening test, such as a Virtual Colonoscopy. If the cancer is found early, the doctor can use surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy for effective treatment.
For more information on Virtual Colonoscopy, click here QA – Virtual Colonoscopy or call us at 1-877-709-8522
CCSVI – Different Approaches, Different Techniques
Yesterday, a symposium about the vascular theory of MS (aka CCSVI) was held in Brooklyn. This is a pretty exciting development because it marks one of the first times the medical community–specifically interventional radiologists(IRs)–have come together to discuss CCSVI and its treatment.
In a nutshell, here’s what was concluded: we are at the very early stages of our understanding of CCSVI–what it means, how to diagnose it and how to treat it.
Diagnostic radiologists, who read the MRI or Ultrasound images have remarked that diagnosing CCSVI is not a straightforward affair. There are incredible subtleties that need to be understood and mastered for a diagnostician to conclude CCSVI is present.
The IRs who have been treating CCSVI agree about the following: treating CCSVI is not like anything they have been doing up to now. It requires new skills, techniques and expertise. The learning curve is steep.
Where they disagree (but again, they are all “learning as they go”) is whether to balloon or stent, if they balloon, what size to use, and regardless of whether they balloon or stent, exactly where to do the repair. Those are a lot of variables, and for patients being treated today, how will their IR’s choices affect their outcome?
So where does this leave the MS community? Every individual needs to make the choices that are right for them including whether to get imaged and treated. Since the medical community who are currently working on CCSVI are still creating more questions than answers for themselves, we know that the right answers are going to take time and rigourous research. An individual touched by MS might want to consider the pros and cons about acting now, or waiting a little while for more answers.
Here are a couple of terrific links:
The CCSVI Alliance is dedicated to educating patients with research-based information, providing tools for patients to advocate for themselves, and supporting medical professionals’ exploration of Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI). http://ccsvi.org/
And here are a list of questions to ask if you are considering getting tested or treated for CCSVI: http://mssociety.ca/bc/education_consumer_questions.htm
These are exciting times, and each day as we learn more, we are closer to figuring out where CCSVI fits into the picture and how best to deal with it.
Announcing our new Medical Director!
Canada Diagnostic Centre is very pleased to announce that Dr. Audrey Spielmann is the new Medical Director for our clinic in Vancouver. We have been working with Dr. Spielmann for many years and look forward to having her take on the role of Medical Director.
Dr. Spielmann is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Department of Radiology and practices radiology at both Vancouver General and UBC Hospitals.
She graduated from the University of British Columbia’s faculty of Medicine, where she also completed her radiology residency. She went on to complete further subspecialty training, an Abdominal Imaging fellowship, at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, USA.
Dr. Spielmann has published on CT and MRI in the peer-reviewed literature with emphasis on liver, pelvic and musculoskeletal imaging and lectured nationally and internationally. She is also a reviewer for national and international scientific journals.
She has a special interest in MRI of the abdomen, pelvic, musculoskeletal system and sports medicine and is one of three radiologists at Canada Diagnostic Centres qualified to assess Breast MRI cases.
We are also very happy to announce that our former Medical Director, Dr. Bruce Forster has just been named Chairman of Radiology at UBC Hospital & School of Medicine as well as Chief of Radiology at both Vancouver General and UBC Hospitals.
Dr. Forster has been an invaluable contributor to Canada Diagnostic’s success by providing leadership, vision and a commitment to evidence-based medicine. Congratulations Dr. Forster!
