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April SorrellAssistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant at the City of HopeFollow this authorPreventive CareSelf AdvocacyGenetically Predisposed Hispanics Can Alter the Course of CancerLos hispanos con predisposición genética pueden alterar el curso del cáncer02/21/2014 01:15PM | 18188 viewsvar addthis_config = {"data_track_addressbar":false};var addthis_config = {"data_track_addressbar":false};Advances in modern medicine have made it possible to identify children
and young people who have an inherited risk of developing early onset cancers. This
important development in healthcare has brought unprecedented opportunities to
reduce onset of certain cancers, improve outcomes for kids and young adults who
do develop cancer, and prevent reoccurrences from happening.It’s an exciting time in the battle against cancer where we’re not just
talking about different therapy approaches and treatment modifications after
the fact, but intervening early enough to attempt prevention in high-risk
individuals.The earlier we can find the children that carry cancer-causing gene
mutations, the better chance we have of altering the course of cancer in their
lives. This is because the individual – along with their families – can take
immediate advantage of this knowledge and make lifestyle changes that can
strengthen their immune system and the body’s natural defenses to fight off
cancer.For example, if you know your child is a carrier of the gene mutation
for leukemia, you may be able to slow down the development of cancer and decrease
the odds that it will develop early in life by minimizing their exposure to
major radiation, environmental toxins – anything known to speed up the
development of cancer. Smoking, unhealthy for anyone, is particularly lethal
for a child with an inherited risk of developing cancer; you certainly don’t
want to be setting a bad example around them or exposing them to the dangers of
secondhand smoke.Most people don’t want to think that cancer is a real threat to them
specifically, and I have found this to be particularly true of my patients from
the Hispanic community. In fact, they may be resistant to making lifestyle
changes if they see it as an acknowledgement of this threat. What has made the
difference in overcoming this resistance is the availability of risk assessment
and the subsequent understanding that they are at higher risk of developing
cancer than the average person. I have seen many individuals and their families
finally find the will to change their lifestyle after finding out they were
carriers of a gene mutation. For them, it’s a way to start taking control of
something that always seemed beyond their control. One of the most dramatic examples of change I witnessed was a patient of
mine who found out he had the gene mutation for hereditary leukemia. For
generations, family members had been suffering and dying from the ravaging
effects of the disease. It had become family folklore that if you started
having bleeding and breathing problems, you were on death’s door. Things changed once we were able to give them a definitive reason for
the health problems running through their family. Where once they were
sedentary and not concerned with environmental or other risk factors that might
be impacting their health, they now started paying attention to their diet and
exercising (the original patient diagnosed became a long-distance runner!) They
started shopping at the local farmer’s market for fresh fruits and vegetables
rich in antioxidants and they avoided foods that posed health risks, such as
highly-processed foods and charcoal-burned meats.Empowered with the knowledge that explained the cause of all their
suffering, they took our recommendations for prevention seriously and did
everything they could to minimize the risk of developing leukemia. They even
lined up donors – siblings who didn’t carry the gene mutation – for possible
bone marrow transplants in the event they showed signs of being pre-leukemic.Each action they took gave them greater peace of mind and a sense that
there was a real chance of beating the odds. This helped my patient deal with
the fact that his three young children were all diagnosed as gene mutation
carriers. Both parents worked busy jobs but were fortunate to be in a position
where they could scale back their hours and spend more time with their kids to
make positive lifestyle changes.They did so at a crucial time, early enough to improve the quality of
life for their family and more closely guide their kids toward healthier
choices – before the children had the ability themselves to grasp the reasons
or the consequences of not doing so. Having to make lifestyle changes can sometimes seem overwhelming on top
of the daily struggles that many patients already face. Those living paycheck
to paycheck certainly don’t have the luxury of cutting back on hours. But even
when stressed financially, I have seen many of my patients, especially from the
Hispanic community, find ways to make positive changes happen. It might be
something simple, like squeezing their own juice by hand, because they can’t
afford a juicer. Some go so far as to start growing their own fruits and
vegetables in backyard gardens when healthy foods seem out of reach (even
getting up before dawn to work their gardens) – in terms of both cost and
distance from their neighborhoods.In essence, they will do everything within their means to help their
families and give their children the best chance at living a healthier life –
not unlike the resourcefulness and resilience that previous generations showed
to give their children better lives in this country. There is an opportunity here to have a big impact on the lives of our
children and the battle against cancer. The patients who have changed their
lives in order to ensure better lives for their children
and their families are great examples of resiliency and resourcefulness. With
this in mind, here are three questions to ask yourself:What would you do if you found out you or your children were genetically
predisposed to cancer? What lifestyle changes would you be able or willing to
make? How would you not just survive such a diagnosis, but thrive in the face
of it?Los avances en la medicina moderna han hecho posible identificar a los niños y jóvenes que tienen un riesgo hereditario de desarrollar cánceres de aparición temprana. Este importante acontecimiento en el cuidado médico ha traído consigo oportunidades sin precedentes para reducir la aparición de ciertos tipos de cáncer, mejorar los resultados para los niños y adultos jóvenes que desarrollan cáncer y evitar la reaparición del mismo.Este es un momento trascendental en la
batalla contra el cáncer donde no
solo estamos hablando de métodos de terapias diferentes y modificaciones en el
tratamiento posterior, sino de intervenir lo suficientemente temprano para
intentar prevenir el desarrollo de cáncer en individuos con alto riesgo.Entre más temprano encontremos a los niños
que llevan las mutaciones genéticas causantes de cáncer, mejor oportunidad
tendremos de alterar el curso del cáncer en sus vidas. Esto es porque el individuo, junto con su familia,
puede tomar ventaja inmediata de este conocimiento y realizar cambios a su
estilo de vida que puedan fortalecer su sistema inmunitario y las defensas
naturales del cuerpo para luchar contra el cáncer.Por ejemplo, si sabe que su hijo es un
portador de la mutación del gen para la leucemia, usted puede ser capaz de frenar
el desarrollo de cáncer y disminuir las probabilidades de que se desarrolle
temprano en la vida al minimizar su exposición a grandes cantidades de
radiación, toxinas ambientales y a todo lo que sabemos que acelera el desarrollo
del cáncer. Fumar, hábito que no es saludable para nadie, es particularmente
letal para un niño con un riesgo hereditario de cáncer; y usted definitivamente
no querrá ser un mal ejemplo o exponerlo a los peligros del humo de segunda
mano.La gran mayoría no quiere pensar que el cáncer
es una amenaza real para ellos en lo particular, y en mi experiencia, he notado
esta forma de pensar mayormente en mis pacientes hispanos. De hecho, pueden mostrarse muy resistentes a los cambios en su estilo de
vida si estos cambios representan el reconocimiento de esta amenaza. Lo que ha
hecho la diferencia en la superación de esta resistencia primero es la
disponibilidad de evaluaciones de riesgo y, después, el entendimiento de que
corre mayor riesgo de desarrollar cáncer que la persona promedio. He visto a
muchas personas y a sus familias finalmente encontrar la fuerza de voluntad
para cambiar su estilo de vida después de descubrir que eran portadores de una
mutación genética. Para ellos, es una manera de comenzar a responsabilizarse de
algo que siempre pareció estar fuera de su control.Uno de los más dramáticos ejemplos de
trasformación del que he sido testigo fue el de uno de mis pacientes al
descubrir que tenía la mutación del gen para la leucemia hereditaria. Durante
varias generaciones, los miembros de su familia habían estado sufriendo y
muriendo por los efectos de esta enfermedad devastadora. Se había convertido en
folclore familiar que si alguien comenzaba a tener problemas respiratorios y
hemorragias, ya estaba en la puerta del cielo.Todo cambió cuando fuimos capaces de
darles una razón definitiva de los problemas de salud por los que atravesaba su
familia. Hasta entonces eran sedentarios, no les importaban los abusos
ambientales ni otros factores de riesgo que podrían estar afectando su salud,
de repente comenzaron a interesarse por su dieta y por el ejercicio (el
paciente originalmente diagnosticado se convirtió en un corredor de larga
distancia). Empezaron a ir al mercado local para comprar frutas y vegetales
ricos en antioxidantes y a evitar los alimentos que plantean riesgos para la
salud, como los alimentos altamente procesados y las carnes al carbón.Fortalecidos con el conocimiento que les
explicaba la causa de todo su sufrimiento, tomaron en serio nuestras
recomendaciones de prevención, e hicieron todo lo posible para minimizar el
riesgo de desarrollar leucemia. Incluso llevaron donantes, hermanos que no
llevaban la mutación del gen, para posibles trasplantes de médula ósea en caso
de que alguno mostrara señales que anunciaran la posibilidad de la leucemia. Cada acción que tomaron les dio mayor
tranquilidad y una sensación de que había una posibilidad real de vencer lo que
hasta entonces habían padecido pasivamente. Esto ayudó a mi paciente a
conllevar el hecho de que sus tres pequeños hijos fueron diagnosticados como portadores
de la mutación del gen. Ambos padres tenían empleos muy intensos pero tuvieron
la fortuna de poder reducir sus horas de trabajo y pasar más tiempo con sus
hijos para así hacer cambios de estilo de vida positivos.Es importante anotar que tanto la detección como los cambios
realizados, se llevaron a cabo en un
momento crucial, lo suficientemente temprano como para mejorar la calidad de
vida de su familia y poder más estrechamente orientar a sus hijos hacia opciones
más saludables, antes incluso de que los niños tuvieran capacidad de comprender
las razones, o de que hubieran padecido las consecuencias por no hacerlo.Verse forzado a
realizar cambios de estilo de vida suele parecer abrumador si le sumamos todas
las otras luchas diarias que ya enfrentan muchos pacientes. Las personas que
viven "al día" no pueden darse el lujo de recortar sus horas de
trabajo. Pero incluso existiendo problemas financieros, he
visto a muchos de mis pacientes, especialmente dentro de la comunidad hispana,
encontrar la manera de hacer cambios positivos en su vida. Y es que podría ser
algo tan simple como exprimir su propio jugo en lugar de comprar uno
artificial, en caso de no poder comprar un extractor. Cuando los alimentos
saludables están fuera del alcance, en términos de costo y distancia, algunas
personas empiezan a cultivar frutas y verduras en sus jardines (incluso a
levantarse antes del amanecer para trabajar sus huertos domésticos).En esencia, aquellos convencidos del beneficio,
harán todo lo que está a su alcance para ayudar a sus familias y darles a sus
hijos una mejor oportunidad de tener una vida sana, al igual que las generaciones
anteriores con ingenio y resistencia lucharon para darles a sus hijos una mejor
vida en este país.Esta es una oportunidad para
efectuar un gran impacto en las vidas de nuestros hijos y apoyar la batalla
contra el cáncer. Los pacientes que han cambiado sus vidas con el fin de
garantizar la mejor vida para sus hijos y sus familias nos dan grandes ejemplos
de persistencia y creatividad a favor de la salud. Teniendo esto en cuenta,
hágase las siguientes preguntas:¿Qué haría si descubriera que usted o sus
hijos están genéticamente predispuestos al cáncer? ¿Qué cambios de estilo de
vida sería capaz o estaría dispuesto a hacer? ¿Cómo reaccionaría ante el
diagnóstico? ¿Cómo le haría para no solo sobrevivir tal diagnóstico, sino como
prosperaría ante él?n�i�iR3 Post your CommentPlease
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and young people who have an inherited risk of developing early onset cancers. This
important development in healthcare has brought unprecedented opportunities to
reduce onset of certain cancers, improve outcomes for kids and young adults who
do develop cancer, and prevent reoccurrences from happening.read morePrevious...4647484950Featured Articles
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Rss Feed for April Sorrell on Healthy Hispanic Livinghttp://healthyhispanicliving.com/authors/april_sorrell/Dr. Sorrell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant at the City of Hope. She is a
board-certified pediatric oncologist and cancer genetics specialist with over
16 years of experience providing clinical care for children with cancer and
blood disorders. She is an active participant in the development of national
clinical trials for children with acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemia through
the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).en-usFri, 21 Feb 2014 13:15:46 -0600Genetically Predisposed Hispanics Can Alter the Course of Cancerhttp://healthyhispanicliving.com/preventive_care/self_advocacy/genetically_predisposed_hispanics_can_alter_the_course_of_cancer/Advances in modern medicine have made it possible to identify children
and young people who have an inherited risk of developing early onset cancers. This
important development in healthcare has brought unprecedented opportunities to
reduce onset of certain cancers, improve outcomes for kids and young adults who
do develop cancer, and prevent reoccurrences from happening.Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:15:46 -0600http://healthyhispanicliving.com/preventive_care/self_advocacy/genetically_predisposed_hispanics_can_alter_the_course_of_cancer/
April Sorrell | Authors
http://healthyhispanicliving.com/authors/april_sorrell/
April SorrellAssistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant at the City of HopeFollow this authorPreventive CareSelf AdvocacyGenetically Predisposed Hispanics Can Alter the Course of Cancer21/02/2014 01:15pm | 18188 viewsAdvances in modern medicine have made it possible to identify children
and young people who have an inherited risk of developing early onset cancers. This
important development in healthcare has brought unprecedented opportunities to
reduce onset of certain cancers, improve outcomes for kids and young adults who
do develop cancer, and prevent reoccurrences from happening.read moreAbout the AuthorApril SorrellAssistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant at the City of HopeDr. Sorrell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant at the City of Hope. She is a
board-certified pediatric oncologist and cancer genetics specialist with over
16 years of experience providing clinical care for children with cancer and
blood disorders. She is an active participant in the development of national
clinical trials for children with acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemia through
the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). Dr. Sorrell is the lead investigator for a biology study of transient myeloproliferative disease (a form of pre-leukemia) in children with Down’s syndrome. This study, COG AAML08B1, is currently enrolling patients from across North America. Dr. Sorrell’s research is focused on improving treatments and survival rates for children and young adults with inherited and genetic predispositions for leukemia.More from April Sorrell
http://healthyhispanicliving.com/authors/bala_ambati_md_phd/rss/
Rss Feed for Bala Ambati, MD, PhD on Healthy Hispanic Livinghttp://healthyhispanicliving.com/authors/bala_ambati_md_phd/Dr.
Bala Ambati has joined the Moran faculty as a researcher and physician.
We are honored to have Dr. Ambati, who has the distinction of being the
world's youngest person to graduate from medical school at 17. Dr.
Ambati is experienced in cornea transplants, cataract extraction,
keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea), LASIK, and other complex
procedures of the cornea and anterior segment of the eye. He plans on
building a practice welcoming patients in these areas as well as general
ophthalmic issues. He has been an invited speaker at the World
Ophthalmology Congress, American Society of Cataract Refractive
Surgery, International Congress of Eye Research, and other national and
international conferences. He donates his time overseas on missions with
ORBIS, a nonprofit organization with a Flying Eye Hospital, on which
Dr. Ambati has operated and trained local surgeons in Ghana and
Malaysia. With respect to clinical research, Dr. Ambati is committed to
constant analysis of results of cornea transplants, LASIK, cataract
extraction, and other anterior segment procedures with a view towards
optimization of patient outcomes.
en-usFri, 27 Feb 2015 06:21:58 -0600Take Care of Your Eyes by Watching What You Eathttp://healthyhispanicliving.com/preventive_care/self_advocacy/take_care_of_your_eyes_by_watching_what_you_eat/At the age of 17, Dr. Bala Ambati became the world's youngest person to graduate from medical school. Today he practices general Ophthalmology, and his experience includes cornea transplants, cataract extraction, keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea), LASIK, and other complex procedures of the cornea and anterior segment of the eye. This is his first article for Healthy Hispanic Living.Fri, 27 Feb 2015 06:21:58 -0600http://healthyhispanicliving.com/preventive_care/self_advocacy/take_care_of_your_eyes_by_watching_what_you_eat/
