March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Of cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and the third most common cancer in men and in women. More than 140,000 Americans are diagnosed and more than 50,000 die from the disease each year. Colorectal cancers affect all racial and ethnic groups, it is most often found in people aged 50 years or older, and the risk for developing this cancer increases with age. That being said it is recommended that patients at average risk get a screening at age 50. Patients with a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps should have a screening done ten years prior to their first degree relatives’ diagnosis, which is usually around age 40.1
Thanks to prevention, effective treatments, and screenings like a colonoscopy, more people are counting themselves as survivors. Colonoscopies are an excellent screening tool. If you find colon cancer at an early stage, surgical resection is often times curative. About nine out of every 10 people whose colorectal cancer is found early and treated are still alive five years later.
Colorectal cancer symptoms are typically non-specific and might not fully display right away, so any subtle symptoms involving the colon must be taken seriously. If you think you may be at risk, or are looking for a colorectal surgeon or gastroenterologist please contact Physicians Regional Medical Group at 239-348-4221 or visit PhysiciansRegionalMedicalGroup.com for online scheduling.
Susan Cera, M.D.
Dr. Cera is board certified in colon and rectal surgery. She attended medical school at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Completed her residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and her fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida.
• Specializes in performing colonoscopies, reoperative surgeries, minimally invasive and robotic surgeries and laparoscopies.
• Also treats patients who suffer from colon/rectal/anal cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, adhesions, diverticulitis, fecal incontinence, hemorrhoids, fissures, fistulas, anal infections, constipation, colon, and rectal polyps and abdominal pain.
Anthony Vernava, M.D.
Dr. Vernava is board certified in colorectal surgery and has been in practice for over 20 years. He attended medical school and completed his residency at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, and his fellowship at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Specializes in performing colonoscopies and laparoscopies, as well as reoperative, minimally invasive, and robotic surgeries.
• Also specializes in treating colon, rectal, and anal cancers in addition to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, adhesions, diverticulitis and fecal incontinence.
• Also treats patients for hemorrhoids, fissures, fistulas, anal infections, constipation, colon, and rectal polyps and abdominal pain.
Michael Cohen, M.D.
Dr. Cohen is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. He attended medical school and completed his residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, and his fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida.
• Specializes in colon cancer screening and prevention, treating Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, acid reflux/GERD, hemorrhoids, and celiac disease/gluten intolerance.
• Also specializes in nutrition/wellness, gallbladder disease, liver disease, cirrhosis, and Hepatitis C.
Alexandra Grace, D.O., MPH
Dr. Grace is board certified in gastroenterology. She attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Completed her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida and her fellowship at St. John Macomb- Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan.
• Specializes in colon cancer screenings, as well as esophagus, stomach and pancreaticobiliary disease.
• Provides treatment for hepatitis, reflux disease, Crohn’s disease, GERD, cirrhosis, hemorrhoids, celiac disease and gluten intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), pancreatitis, and ulcerative colitis.
Badar Muneer, M.D.
Dr. Muneer is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicines. He attended medical school at Nishtar Medical College, Multan Pakistan. Completed his residency at Michael Reese Hospital-University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois and his fellowship in Gastroenterology at Case Western Reserve University Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. He also completed fellowships in Transplant Hepatology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas Texas and a fellowship in interventional/ advanced gastroenterology at Carillon Clinic- Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA.
• Specializes in advanced gastroenterology, liver diseases, and colon cancer screenings, as well as esophagus, stomach and pancreaticbiliary diseases.
Dr. Muneer’s services include general and interventional endoscopy, diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography, luminal and biliary stent placement, AXIOS stent placement, OTSC-Ovesco clip placement, upper endoscopies, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopies, polyp removal, Single Balloon Enteroscopy, endoscopic suture placement, Small Bowel Video Capsule Endoscopy, Non-Surgical Hemorrhoid Treatment, and using less invasive advanced techniques for gastrointestinal diseases and gastrointestinal cancers.
Maria Valdes, M.D.
Dr. Valdes is board certified in gastroenterology. She attended medical school at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Completed her residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in New York, New York and her fellowship at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in Brooklyn, New York.
• Specializes in all areas of gastroenterology.
• Including colorectal cancer screening, reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).