Newswise — Colorectal cancer is the third most-common cause of cancer-related death in men and women in the nation, and about 112,340 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed this year. Experts at the Keck School of Medicine of USC are available to offer insight on issues including research, prevention, causes and risk factors and surgical and other therapeutic treatments. They include:
Colorectal Cancer " General
"¢ Syma Iqbal, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the division of medical oncology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. As a medical oncologist, Dr. Iqbal works with colorectal cancer patients at the Colorectal Center at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to create a sort of genetic fingerprint of the patient's cancer to customize a plan for administering chemotherapy.
"¢ Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the division of medical oncology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and associate director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Lenz's research focuses on the identification and determination of molecular markers in pre-cancerous and cancerous tissues that might predict for cancer risk and clinical outcome in gastrointestinal cancers. He also has expertise in inflammatory bowel disease, cancer genetics " including genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer " and pharmacogenetics, or how genes influence the effectiveness of drugs.
Colorectal Cancer " Surgery
"¢ Robert Beart Jr., M.D., professor and chairman of the department of colorectal surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Beart's main research interests include continence preservation, colostomy avoidance and the management of recurrent colorectal cancer.
"¢ Howard Kaufman, M.D., associate professor of surgery and obstetrics/gynecology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and chief of the division of colorectal and pelvic floor surgery and chief of general surgery at USC University Hospital. Dr. Kaufman is an expert in surgical procedures for colorectal disorders, including cancer and laparoscopic colon resection. His research is also focused on various simultaneous treatments of rectal cancer.
Cancer Prevention/Causes of Cancer
"¢ Robert Haile, Ph.D., professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the Genetic Epidemiology Program. Dr. Haile researches the genetic epidemiology of colorectal and other cancers. He is co-chair of the Collaborative Family Registries for Colorectal Cancer Research. Dr. Haile also has expertise on aspirin and folic acid in the prevention of bowel polyps, calcium in the prevention of neoplastic polyps, cruciferous vegetables, genes and colon adenomas and environmental interactions in colorectal cancer.
RSS