Texoma Living Well Magazine March/April 2018 | Page 37

in men whose diets are high in calci-
um, so one way to lower risk would be
to reduce dairy intake.
Promising research: For men who
develop prostate cancer, “one type of
radiation treatment is proton therapy,”
Dr. Holguin says. “This treatment de-
livers the radiation very specifically to
the cancer and may decrease the tox-
icity to the surrounding tissue.”
3. LUNG CANCER
Prevalence: About 1 in 4 cancer
deaths is attributed to lung cancer,
making it the deadliest kind in both
men and women.
Primary protection: Don’t smoke.
“The vast majority of lung cancer is
clearly a result of smoking and other
exposures [to tobacco smoke], but
predominantly smoking,” Dr. Holguin
says.
Promising research: People who
are at high risk for lung cancer can
be screened and diagnosed before
symptoms develop through use of a
low-dose computerized tomography
(CT) scan. A study conducted by the
National Cancer Institute showed
that screening people at high risk
of lung cancer with low-dose CT
scans reduced mortality from lung
cancer by 20 percent, contributing
to more than 70,000 lives saved
each year.
4. SKIN CANCER
Prevalence: Skin cancer is the most
commonly diagnosed cancer in both
men and women.
Primary protection: Minimize ex-
posure to the sun. Wear sunscreen
and clothing that provides adequate
coverage.
Promising research: “A new class
of drugs is adding significant survival
benefits in patients with advanced
melanoma, ” Dr. Holguin says. “These
checkpoint inhibitors help ‘unmask’
the cancer so that the immune system
can recognize it and fight it off.”
5. COLORECTAL CANCER
Prevalence: Although colorectal
cancer is still one of the most common
cancers, the rate of new cases has
decreased steadily over the last 10
years.
Primary protection: Get a colo-
noscopy. This screening not only helps
detect cancer, but it’s also used by
doctors to remove precancerous pol-
yps, effectively preventing the disease
from developing. Start colonoscopies
at age 50 and then get one every 10
years thereafter.
Promising research: “Treatment
has improved through the addition
of targeted therapy to standard
chemotherapy approaches,” Dr.
Holguin says. “Also important has
been the recognition of several ge-
netically related colon cancer fami-
lies, the early identification of indi-
viduals at risk and careful following
of those patients.” If colorectal can-
cer runs in your family, consider ge-
netic testing.
For a physician referral or for more information on Cancer Care services at a Baylor
Scott & White Health location near you, call 1.844.BSW.DOCS or visit us online at
www.BSWHealth.com/Cancer.
Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not
provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers, Baylor Health Care System, Scott & White Healthcare or Baylor Scott & White Health.
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