Education, high-tech equipment can prevent serious illness

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Singapore

Imagine, you are in a doctor's waiting room. For the past few weeks, you've been anxiously waiting for a cancer results.

Now, your doctor tells you that a tumor has been found but you need more tests to reveal its exact location and to see whether it is malignant. Even then, your doctor may not be able to tell how advanced it is or how it should be treated.

On another day, a patient severely suffering from a sudden heart attack went to the doctor too late for any medical treatment.

"These would have been typical scenarios in the recent years. Many people do not know they suffer from one of these serious public enemies -- cancer and heart-related and cardiovascular (CVD) diseases," said Dr. Albert Chan, medical director and chief of cardiologists at Singapore-based Excellence Healthcare medical center.

A lot of people usually found the diseases when they already entered the severe stage. For an illness that kills 17 million people around the world, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains largely taken for granted. CVD refers to diseases of the heart and blood vessels and includes coronary heart disease, hypertension and stroke.

"Many Asians thinks that CVD is a curse of Westerners, it kills more people across geographical, gender and socioeconomic boundaries," explained Dr. Chan.

For example, since the l960s, advances in medicine have helped limit heart attacks by over 50 percent in industrialized nations.

Now, 80 percent of global heart-disease-related deaths occur in less wealthy nations, including most of Asia. Time magazine reports that deaths from CVD rose by 53.4 percent from 1988 to 1996. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2010, 60 percent of heart patients will be Asians.

The other deadly disease is cancer, which is caused by mutating genes.

"It is a challenging battle to win because a cancer cell has the uncanny ability to change its identity. Today, only 63 percent of those with cancer can hope to survive for five years or more," the doctor added.

Every year, cancer kills about seven million worldwide and affects 10 million more. Lung, colorectal (cancer of the colon and rectum), breast and prostate cancer are among the most common forms of cancer.

The Cancer Journal reports that Singaporeans have the highest colorectal cancer rate in Asia, which could be closely linked to a diet rich in saturated fat, Other cancer risk factors include smoking, obesity, diabetes, allergies, viral infections, as well as exposure to pesticides and chemical additives.

"More and more Asians, including Indonesians, are adopting `lazy and inactive lifestyles' consuming fast-food and fatty meals, smoking and other unhealthy activities," he said.

Public information

"It is very important for any doctor and healthcare provider to fully inform his patients about their actual condition of their illnesses," he said.

Numerous doctors and medical providers have been ignoring the rights of their patients to obtain complete information on how the disease is developed and what kinds of medical treatments they will have to go through.

A healthcare provider should not only be well qualified but also experienced in dealing with various healthcare situations, he said.

"While a knowledgeable doctor may be a godsend in quickly relieving pain, a genuinely caring doctor will offer suggestions for more long-term healing and well being, "the doctor continued.

Patient education is also said to be one of the most important aspects of healthcare. A trustworthy healthcare provider will not only continuously educate the patient on treatment options but also highlight options that cause the least side effects.

Committed healthcare providers will ensure that all patients are treated using the most advanced and effective equipment available.

"Knowledge and experience may make a good doctor, but lack of up-to-date facilities may still cause misdiagnosis -- a highly common medical error," he maintained.

The U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) defines a medical error as an inappropriate method of care for a patient by a healthcare provider; or an appropriate method of care performed wrongly.

With so many lives being lost to CVD and cancer, there is a pressing need for early detection. Death from this disease may be prevented through advanced, comprehensive and timely health screening.

"Following a healthy diet and active lifestyle may be excellent measures for prevention. But even then, they may not be able to fully erase a genetic predisposition for these diseases," he said.

The benefits of early detection are, however, manifold. It gives precious peace of mind. It also allows doctors to intervene before the disease enters a severe stage.

For example, heart disease does not begin with a heart attack. It starts much earlier with elevated blood cholesterol and the build-up of plaque. Similarly, small cancerous lesions may be detected and treated before they spread throughout the body.

"The use of high-tech medical equipment will also help prevent more serious illnesses," explained Dr. Chan.

Medical technology

Medical technology evolves at a very rapid rate. Although most hospitals may carry a particular type of diagnostic equipment, one hospital's version may be older while another hospital's may be newer and better.

Excellence Healthcare, he said, presently uses a new, hybrid screening technology known as Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/ Computed tomography (CT), which is revolutionizing medical imaging, especially in the areas of brain disorder, heart disease and cancer.

"PET/CT marries the PET and CT technologies in just one scan, giving quick, non-invasive, painless and accurate diagnosis when it matters most," he said.

The PET scanners highlight areas where glucose is used more quickly -- helping doctors to detect suspicious cells and evaluate whether they are cancerous.

For a cancer patient, A PET/CT scan can make the all important distinction between benign and malignant cells. "This helps patients avoid the need for more tests, which are both uncomfortable and costly."