GastroIntestinal Healthcare Forms Team and Raises Close to $1,000 for Annual Colon Cancer Event

April 10, 2011 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, NC – GastroIntestinal Healthcare raised $950 for the 3rd Annual Get Your Rear in Gear – Raleigh 5K Race.  The Raleigh healthcare practice, a Bronze sponsor of this year’s event, coordinated a team of 40 comprised of practice team members, family members, friends, and patients.  Get Your Rear in Gear is a multi-city event designed to promote colon cancer awareness and provide support for those affected by the disease.  The 5K timed walk/run was held at Fred Fletcher Park in Raleigh on March 5th and was attended by more than 1,200 people.  This was GastroIntestinal Healthcare’s third consecutive year supporting this event.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.  According to the American Cancer Society, there were over 106,000 new cases of colon cancer diagnosed in the United States in 2009.  Men and women are at equal risk for colon cancer with the disease being most common among people aged 50 and older.  Dr. Boris Cvetkovski, co-owner of GastroIntestinal Healthcare, explains that in most people, colorectal cancers develop slowly and over several years.  He says that the time to get a screening is before a problem is suspected.

“Regular colon screenings are the best way to prevent colorectal cancer,” says Dr. Cvetkovski. “It may take up to 10 years for polyps to develop into colorectal cancer.  In many cases, screenings can prevent colorectal cancer altogether by detecting polyps before they turn into cancer.  Also, screenings can detect colorectal cancer at its earliest stage, when it’s highly curable.”

Practice Administrator, Nancy Nicoll O’Neill, says that she is proud of her practice’s support of the annual Get Your Rear in Gear event and is appreciative of everyone who came out to help raise awareness of colon cancer and the importance of early detection.

“This is the third year that we formed a team, and it’s always a great opportunity to get together and do something that is not only fun, but is also for a great cause,” says Nicoll O’Neill.  “Early colon cancer screenings are something that we highly recommend at GastroIntestinal Healthcare, and we will continue to be very active in events, like Get Your Rear in Gear, in order to stress the importance of regular colon screenings.”

Dr. Cvetkovski says that GastroIntestinal Healthcare usually recommends beginning regular colon screenings at age 50 if there are no identified risk factors.  He says that those individuals with a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps should talk with their doctor and consider earlier and possibly more frequent screenings.  

“The most important thing to remember is that over 75 percent of colon cancers happen to individuals with absolutely no known risk factors, making regular screenings even more vital,” says Dr. Cvetkovski.

In addition to screenings, individuals looking to reduce their risk of colorectal cancer should eat a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, avoid tobacco products, consume alcohol in moderation, and engage in moderate exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four times a week.

About GastroIntestinal Healthcare
GastroIntestinal Healthcare is dedicated to “improving your health from the inside out”.  The practice focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive tract—the esophagus, stomach, colon, small and large bowel, gallbladder, and liver—and is conveniently located in North Raleigh, just off of I540.  GastroIntestinal Healthcare has its own onsite licensed endoscopy center and is accredited and fully certified by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (Medicare), Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina.  For more information, call (919) 870-1311 or visit www.gihealthcare.net.

About Get Your Rear in Gear
The Get Your Rear in Gear events focus on raising awareness about colon cancer in communities across the country. They are events designed to unite people, cities and states throughout the USA, to provide support and hope for those who have had their lives affected by our nation’s second leading cause of cancer deaths, and to encourage individuals of all ages to get screened.  For more information, visit http://www.getyourrearingear.com.

Media Contact:
Louise Cottrell
FireBrand Marketing, Inc.
louisec@firebrandmarketing.com
(919) 848-1025