Healthfirst, one of New York’s leading low-cost health insurers, hosted a community workshop highlighting colorectal cancer, screening, prevention and nutrition at the Saint Barnabas Hospital Health & Wellness Center.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and nearly 3,000 New Yorkers die from the disease, according to the New York State Department of Health. Colorectal cancer is “one of the most common cancers in New York State and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among all people,” according to the NYS Department of Health.
Abbie Gellman, a registered dietician and director of the SBH Center for Culinary Medicine and Teaching Kitchen, led a gut-health cooking demonstration for the afternoon.
The demonstration aimed to teach residents at the R.A.I.N. Parkchester Neighborhood Senior Center how to lower sugar intake, which is a direct link to colorectal cancer.
She taught the residents how to make easy-at-home recipes using everyday ingredients, and even offered substitutes for healthier options.
Gellman made zucchini muffins, salmon with roasted onions and potatoes, chickpea hummus, collard greens and a fiber-rich smoothie.
Dr. Steven Brower, a surgical oncologist at SBH Health System, presented a slideshow about Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. He said that colon cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in the United States, excluding skin cancers.
“Lung cancer and colon cancer are just as challenging in women as they are men. So we need to develop prevention strategies for colorectal cancer in women that are just as important for men,” Brower said.
Dr. Michael Polcino, the director of colon and rectal surgery, concluded the presentation with education about the importance of screening before you turn 45 years old because the disease has increasingly affected younger adults.
Colon cancer screening (colonoscopy) can find precancerous polyps, which are small growths that attach themselves to the lining of the colon. Polcino said if the polyps are small, they can remove them.
“If I see this little growth and how we remove it is we take a little lasso, and we put it around it and that’s how we remove these polyps. Oftentimes, [the treatment] stops the polyp from potentially becoming cancerous.
Another common screening option is at-home stool tests like Cologuard. If your results are abnormal, then you need to follow-up with a colonoscopy to determine if you have colon cancer.
“That’s why there’s much more awareness of this disease because it’s changing,” Polcino said. “It’s a disease of younger patients — 30s, 40s, 50s — and that’s why screening is so important now.”
“This disease is treatable… we learned today [that] nutrition helps decrease your cancer risk. If our diets are better — more fiber — that will help with our bowel movements. We want our patients in the community to see the doctors before they come to see me and Dr. Brower.”
Miguel Centeno, Healthfirst’s vice president of Community Engagement, said that they wanted to highlight colorectal cancer in the Bronx during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month because “the Latino community is disproportionately impacted by colorectal cancer.”
“We want to take advantage of that platform to educate. We’re all about empowering the community and so we took this opportunity today, working with our awesome friends at SBH, to really raise awareness about the importance of screening and also the impact that nutrition plays in cancer risk,” Centeno said.
Alice Torres, 75, attended the event to learn more about colon cancer, the colonoscopy operation and nutrition.
“I learned that after an operation, if it’s cancerous, you have to see a doctor after a year,” Torres said.
Milagra Cortes, a face painter, 70, visited Saint Barnabas Hospital for the first time and was curious about their services because she prioritizes her health.
Cortes said she had a past operation for diverticulitis, an infection of the colon, so learning more about the colonoscopy, nutrition and prevention was important to her.
“We used to fry a lot and in Puerto Rico, we used to eat a lot of rice and less veggies. I gained a lot of weight before I came to New York,” Cortes said. “Since I came to New York, I had colonoscopy tests but I had to repeat it every three years, and I still do.”
Cortes said she lost the weight and now she usually eats better to take care of herself. She plans to implement the workshop information in her everyday life.
“I practice everything. I try to utilize the information. I think these days, there’s more prevention than in the past. It’s very important. It has to do with our bodies.”
At the end of the event, Albert Jovel, the general manager at the SBH Healthplex Fitness Center, hosted the giveaway raffle for 45 items. Among these items were honey and tickets for free community cooking classes and fitness classes.
Reach Keke Grant-Floyd at kekegfreports@gmail.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
