Florida Hospital Hosts Colorectal Cancer Seminar

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 31, 2017 On March 22, nearly 50 community members joined Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center for a free physician-led seminar on colorectal cancer.

Over a complimentary lunch, radiation oncologist Dr. Shravan Kandula discussed the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer, as well as the importance of prevention.

On a national scale, 1 in 20 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime, so this disease is certainly something we see often in our Cancer Institute at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center, Kandula said.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable forms of cancer, accounting of less than 10 percent of cancer deaths in the U.S.

That said, more than 60 percent of deaths from this disease could be avoided altogether by regular screenings. Unfortunately, 1 in 3 adults ages 50-75 are not up-to-date with recommended colorectal cancer screening.

A regular colorectal cancer screening is one of the most powerful weapons we have against this disease, he said. It can take as many as 10 to 15 years for a polyp to develop into colorectal cancer. With this in mind, regular screenings can prevent many cases of colorectal cancer altogether by finding and removing polyps before they have the chance to become cancerous.

About Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. Our locations include Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Florida Hospital Oceanside in Ormond Beach, as well as outpatient facilities in Port Orange, Daytona Beach Shores and New Smyrna Beach. With 293-beds, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 923 beds and more than 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.