As a Broadway press agent, Michael Hartmans life is jam-packed with deadlines, meetings and mountains of stress. But 3 years ago, his world was turned upside down. Michael began passing blood, and was diagnosed with colon cancer.

I figured it was probably stress. My body felt stressed, so I sort of self-diagnosed it as an ulcer, says Michael.
At the urging of a friend, Michael went to the doctor, who thought he just had a hemorrhoid. But, to be sure, his doctor encouraged him to get a colonoscopy, which later revealed that Michael had a malignant mass. It was colon cancer, and he would have to have colon cancer surgery.
I was just 36 years old and I was terrified. This type of thing is not supposed to happen to a 36 year old, says Michael.
Michaels father had two bouts of colon cancer. Michaels memories of his fathers colon cancer surgery worried him.
Both times my father had surgery, it was conventional surgery, which was very difficult. He was split open from his breast bone down to his pubic bone. My first conversation with my dad after his colon cancer surgery scared me to death.
But thanks to minimally invasive laparoscopic colon surgery, Michaels colon cancer was able to be removed. In fact, according to a land mark study, the first and largest of its kind, recently published in the New England of Journal Medicine, laparoscopic colon surgery has been shown to be an effective alternative to standard open surgery for most patients whose cancer is confined to the colon.
“This report is a big deal in our world, because we’ve been waiting for a decade to see if the long-term results would be different between the traditional open surgery and the laparoscopic approach,” reports Dr. Richard Whelan of Columbia University.
Traditional or open surgery can involve an incision of six to eight inches or longer in order to open the abdomen to perform the operation. Laparoscopic colon surgery typically involves three half-inch incisions through which a small video camera and surgical instruments are inserted. A two inch incision is used to bring the colon out of the abdomen, cutting away the portion containing cancer. The two healthy parts are then reconnected and the colon is placed back inside the abdomen.
According to Dr. Whelan, “There is a more rapid return of bowel function and also on average the patients were discharged a day earlier than traditional open surgery patients.”
Much to Michael’s surprise he was able to take a European vacation, just four weeks post surgery.
“I was on a plane to Paris and I had a great time. I was not slowed down a bit,” says Michael.
Also, according to Dr. Whelan, after traditional open surgery, the immune system can get suppressed for 3-7 days, the study showed that suppression does not occur after a laparoscopic colon surgery.
And perhaps most importantly for cancer patients, Dr. Whelan says,
“There’s no difference in the overall survival rate, or the rate of recurrence with patients who have had surgery done either in the traditional or with the minimally invasive laparoscopic approach.”
Having faced his mortality at the young age of 36, Michael says he’s now embracing life with new energy, truly savoring every moment of every day.
“I feel like it’s a real gift. It’s made me more appreciative of my body, more appreciative of my health, and I believe I’m in better shape than I was before.”
Dr. Whelan says he can’t stress enough, that the skill and experience of the surgeon is crucial in performing this procedure. Obese patients, patients who have had severe lung or heart disease may not be candidates for laparoscopic colon surgery.
The American Cancer Society recommends that most patients start the screening process at age 50. However, those with a family history of colon cancer need to start at a younger age. And, Dr. Whelan emphasizes that patients who experience any type of rectal bleeding, dark stool or any change in their bowel habits over the age of 30 should consult with their physician about having a colonoscopy.
For more information on colon cancer, click here:
http://www.ccalliance.org/
http://www.healthnewsconnect.com/page0008.html

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