Colon cancer screening: Weighing the options Colon cancer screening can be an important part of routine health care. If you’re not sure which colon cancer screening test is best for you, ask yourself these questions. If your doctor has recommended colon cancer screening, you might be able to choose from various colon cancer screening tests. If you’re reluctant to make a decision, remember that any discomfort or embarrassment from colon cancer screening is temporary — and detecting problems early could save your life. Screening tests are used only if you don’t have bowel symptoms. If you have signs and symptoms — such as abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits, bleeding, constipation or diarrhea — then you’ll need other tests to address these problems. If you don’t have bowel symptoms, consider the following questions to help choose the colon cancer screening test that’s best for you. What preparation is involved? Preparing for colon cancer screening can be uncomfortable or inconvenient, but it’s necessary for the test to be effective. As part of your decision, consider your willingness or ability to follow the preparation instructions for specific colon cancer screening tests. This may — to varying degrees — include avoiding solid food the day before the exam, adjusting your medications, and using laxatives or enemas to empty your colon. How convenient is the test? In addition to test preparation, consider: How long the test will take How often you need to repeat the test Whether you’ll need sedation How much follow-up care you’ll need The possible need for follow-up testing to investigate a false-positive finding or to remove tissue What about cost and insurance issues? Find out how much each colon cancer screening test costs, as well as which tests your insurance company covers. Consider whether you’re willing to pay out of pocket if necessary. What is your attitude toward screening tests? The more thorough the colon cancer screening test, the more likely it is to detect any cancer or precancerous polyps. Conversely, a more thorough test might also mean more inconvenient or uncomfortable preparation, a slightly higher risk of serious complications, or both. Ask yourself: Will you feel best if you know you’ve chosen the most thorough screening test possible? Will you worry or doubt the results if you choose a less thorough test? How concerned are you about convenience, preparation or the possibility of serious complications? What is your doctor’s approach to screening tests? Make sure that you’re comfortable with the colon cancer screening test your doctor recommends. If your doctor specializes in a particular test, but you’d rather have another test, express your wishes. Your doctor might offer a referral to someone trained in the test with which you feel most comfortable. What is your risk level? Your risk of colon cancer might influence your choice of screening tests. If you have an increased risk of colon cancer, your doctor might recommend more frequent colon cancer screening with colonoscopy. Talk to your doctor about your colon cancer risk if you: Have a personal history of colon cancer or precancerous polyps Have a parent, sibling or child who has had colon cancer Carry a gene for a hereditary colon cancer syndrome Have a history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease  

Cancer is hard. The cancer treatment is even more frightening and heart-breaking. After you have passed those hurdles, you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The modern medical science has made our lives better. But along with this, you must take control of your health to enrich your life. A healthy lifestyle after breast cancer surgery should include: Maintain a Healthy Weight – Diagnosis of cancer is accompanied with the stress of the treatment, its side effects and the changes it will bring in life. It becomes difficult for the survivor to keep a check on her weight. Maintain a healthy weight by consulting a nutritionist. It’s the single and the most vital thing to improve the quality of your life after breast cancer surgery.   Limit the Intake of Alcohol – Alcohol is a complicated issue especially for the survivors. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause risk in the near future. Therefore, try to avoid it as much as possible. Alcohol is also considered to be an unhealthy way to deal with the physical and emotional stress of cancer. Talk to your healthcare professional if you think you’ll face problem without consuming it.   Maintain a Healthy Diet – As a survivor, it becomes difficult to keep track of the diet intake. Maintain a healthy diet as it will keep your weight in check, give your body the essential vitamins and minerals along with the energy you need to stay active all throughout the day. Try eating as much fruits, vegetables, whole grains as you can. And, avoid eating red meat. Follow food safety steps to avoid food poisoning.   Quit Smoking – Quit smoking. It is the single best thing you can do as a breast cancer survivor. It will lower down the risk of developing breast cancer in the future. Along with it you will also prevent yourself from succumbing to heart diseases and stroke. Though it’s tough but not impossible.   Maintain a Workout Regime – It’s tough for a lot of people to do exercise on a daily basis. For the survivors who have recently undergone breast cancer surgery, it’s all the more difficult. The benefits of regular activity includes: it boosts your health, it improves your mood and helps to avoid cancer-related fatigue issues. Regular workout also reduces the chances of recurrence and cut down the risk of chronic diseases.   Cancer Care Specialities MENA at Al Zahra Hospital is the best breast cancer care center in Gulf, UAE, and Dubai. The team of board certified doctors always advise the aforementioned tips to all their patients to have a healthy life.

Will you undergo thyroid surgery soon? Are you worried about having a visible scar on your neck afterwards? Don’t worry! The old traditional method has been replaced by the new surgical technique – scarless thyroid surgery. It leaves no scar on the neck. In some cases, it might result in easier recovery after surgery. At Neuro Spinal Hospital, the surgical team of Cancer Care Specialities offers scarless thyroid surgery in UAE to patients with abnormal thyroid or parathyroid glands. The novel approach leaves no visible scar. How does it work? In the scarless thyroid surgery instead of making an incision in your neck, surgeons use this technique to access thyroid glands through a small cut made in your armpit. Using robotics arms, a monitor and a machine to control the arms, a surgeon performs the surgery. This helps the surgeon to get precise and clear magnification of the thyroid gland thereby reducing the risk of complications. Instead of two, only one incision is made This technique for scarless thyroid surgery in UAE is popular amongst the patients because the whole thyroid gland is removed through a single armpit incision. This is far better than making an incision in both armpits or a big scar over the neck. However, this procedure is technically very demanding but it makes a comfortable journey for the patient to recover. Benefits of the Scarless Thyroid Surgery The biggest advantage is that you won’t find any visible scars on the neck while allowing complete removal of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. Magnification by the robotics allows clear visualization of important structures such as the nerves and the parathyroid glands. Just one incision and whole of the thyroid gland can be removed. Also, the scars made get healed over time. Traditional Surgery vs. Scarless Technique Although scarless thyroid surgery might sound appealing, but it isn’t for everyone. You should undergo scarless thyroid surgery only if: Your body weight is normal because this type of surgery can be performed on people who are overweight. You have small sized thyroid nodules without associated conditions, namely thyroiditis or Grave’s disease. Follow Up Care   Once the procedure is over, the patients stay at the hospital overnight so that the team can monitor recovery after surgery and anesthesia. The next day, if the patient does not suffer from any problems, they are discharged. Ideally, they are recommended to take rest for a day or two. But you can resume your work only after 2-3 weeks. Small stitches dissolve on their own after some time. Transforming Scarless Thyroid Surgery Care Now you know in detail about the scarless thyroid surgery, so contact our experienced surgeon for comprehensive care. Located in the heart of Dubai, Cancer Care Specialities MENA conducts scarless thyroid surgery in UAE by using the latest technology and information management protocols to improve the overall health outcomes.

Book an Appointment with Dr. Arun Kanala for Pneumothorax Treatment A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung which occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse. At Dubai-based Al Zahra Cancer Center, we conduct pneumothorax surgery to remove blood or air in the chest cavity particularly after trauma. The surgery is conducted under the guidance of Dr. Arun Kanala – a board-certified thoracic surgeon with years of surgical experience. Pneumothorax treatment in Dubai’s Al Zahra Hospital completely depends on the severity of your condition. It also depends if you’ve earlier experienced pneumothorax and what symptoms you are experiencing. Both surgical and non-surgical treatments are available. While the small pneumothorax without underlying lung disease may resolve on its own in one to two weeks. The larger pneumothorax associated with underlying lung disease often require aspiration of the free air and/or placement of a chest tube to evacuate the air. The outcome of pneumothorax depends upon the extent and type of pneumothorax. The recurrence rate for both primary and secondary pneumothorax is about 40%; most recurrences occur within 1.5 to 2 years. Integrating leading edge standards and comprehensive care to dramatically change the prognosis and treatment of different cancers is the key of our Al Zahra Cancer initiative. Located in the heart of Dubai, we provide the best suitable treatment of Pneumothorax at Al Zahra Cancer Center.

LIVING WITH HEALTHY LUNGS by Dr. Ali Aldameh, Consultant Surgeon, General, Thoracic , Laparoscopic Surgery Lungs keep us alive and well and for the most part, we don’t need to think about them. Here are some ways to keep your lungs healthy. Don’t Smoke Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Cigarette smoke can narrow the air passages and make breathing more difficult. Over time cigarette smoke destroys lung tissue, and may trigger changes that grow into cancer. If you smoke, it’s never too late to benefit from quitting.  Avoid Exposure to Pollutants That Can Damage Your Lungs Secondhand smoke, outdoor air pollution, chemicals in the home and workplace, and radon all can cause or worsen lung disease. Make your home and car smoke free. Prevent Infection Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based cleaners are a good substitute if you cannot wash. Avoids crowds during the cold and flu season. Get vaccinated every year against influenza. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if the pneumonia vaccine is right for you. Regular check-ups help prevent diseases, even when you are feeling well. This is especially true for lung disease, which sometimes goes undetected until it is serious. During a check-up, your healthcare provider will listen to your breathing and listen to your concerns. Exercise: Aerobic exercise helps improve your lung capacity. Specific breathing exercises can also help improve your lung function. Exercise and breathing techniques are also great for improving your mood and helping you relax.