Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Reducing your risk of cancer goes far beyond eating healthy foods. Turns out there are many steps you can take to have a positive impact on your lifestyle. Below are just a few starters:

Stay away from tobacco. Most of us are well aware that tobacco is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, but did you know it can also lead to cancers of the throat, mouth, esophagus, as well as heart disease? If you or someone you know suffers from a nicotine addiction, now is the time to take small steps to quit. 

Set goals for sleeping right. The average person should get about 7 hours of sleep each night. Not only does a lack of sleep make your body work harder the next day and slow down your immune system, but it also induces unhealthy, sugary cravings.

Exercise often. Research shows that working out at least three days a week can lower your risk of colon cancer by about 50 percent, so make sure you dedicate at least 30 minutes to walking or biking. And don’t forget that even the small steps count, like taking the stairs or parking a few blocks from your destination.

Go for a screening. One of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer is to get screened, especially if the disease runs in your family. The earlier you know what’s going on inside your body, the better chance you have at fighting potential precancerous growths.

At Great South Bay Surgical Associates, we pride ourselves in the multitude of services and procedures that we offer to our patients in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Comprised of eight leading doctors in the surgical field, our team is committed to providing exceptional services by using state of the art technologies while upholding our traditional values of caring and quality.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, click here to view our website or call 631-321-6801 today.

Eat Your Way to Healthy Skin

Research has shown that skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among people of all ages. Though we all know how important it is to cover up and use sunscreen when heading to the beach or sitting out in the sun, there are also a ton of alternative dietary methods to keep your skin protected. Want to eat your way to healthy, and happy skin? Incorporating these five foods into your daily meals can help your body stay protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

1. Citrus Fruits: According to a study performed by the University of Arizona, the limonene found in lemons, limes, oranges and other citrus fruits helps to lower the risk of skin cancer by a resounding 34%.

2. Green Tea: Beneficial to your body in more ways than one, a cup of green tea is full of helpful antioxidants called EGCGs. Focusing on these EGCGs, a study at the University of Wisconsin showed that drinking green tea helps minimize damage to skin cells after exposure to UV rays.

3. Carrots: Like other red, yellow and orange fruits and veggies, carrots contain a high concentration of carotenoids that have been proven to reduce the damaging effects of sunburn.

4. Spinach: The healthy antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin are found in spinach and other leafy greens. Animal studies have discovered that these antioxidants help to prevent irregular cell growth that can be caused by exposure to UV rays.

5. Salmon: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is a great healthy alternative that helps keep skin damage-free. Studies show that fish oils, like those found in salmon, are beneficial when it comes to protecting skin from sunburn and preventing cancerous cell growth.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body, so make sure you treat and protect it with care!

At Great South Bay Surgical Associates, our doctors are trained to treat melanoma and other skin cancers with sentinel node techniques. If you or someone you know suspects that they may need skin surgery, or have already been diagnosed with melanoma, our surgeons can help.

For more information call 631-321-6801 and schedule your consultation today.

5 Healthy Habits to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

The idea that eating healthy foods, keeping active and staying hydrated are the first steps to fighting any sort of illness is nothing new. However, there are a ton of additional helpful habits that you can incorporate into your daily lifestyle to significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer.

1. Always use a water filter. Depending on your area, the tap water you’re drinking may be filled with tons of suspected carcinogens and harmful chemicals, so investing in a fully-functioning water filtration system is key. A quality faucet-mounted filter, like Pur Vertical or Brita, should do the trick.

2. Marinate your meat. The old wives’ tale that cooking anything “burns away the germs” is only half true. Though the germs may be gone, there might still be cancer-causing heterocyclic amines and aromatic hydrocarbons that are created during the cooking process. To be safe, marinate your meat with antioxidant-rich rosemary and thyme for at least an hour prior to grill-time.

3. Drink caffeine daily. A British study in 2010 showed that those who drank at least 5 cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop brain, oral and throat cancer than their decaf counterparts. Not a coffee lover? Drinking tea can have a similar protective effect, though it’s not as potent.

4. Choose your outfits wisely. Skin cancer is arguably one of the most common forms of cancer. Of course it’s always important to cover up when going out into the sun, but did you know that the color you wear can help keep you safe as well? Research has shown that blue and red fabrics offer the most protection from U.V. rays, while white and yellow ones offer the least.

5. Pick an experienced doctor. Your best bet at beating the odds when it comes to developing or fighting cancer is choosing a doctor that’s well-known and knowledgeable. Studies have shown that choosing a doctor with at least 25 years of experience is key.

Established in 1909, Great South Bay Surgical Associates has been serving the community with the tradition of caring and quality for over 100 years. Every one of our surgeons has countless years of experience in the industry, performing open and minimally invasive general and oncological surgeries with precision.

For more information about our practice and the procedures that we offer, click here or call 631-321-6801.

The Best Cancer-Fighting Superfoods

Though researchers are still searching high and low for a cure and definitive cause for cancer, studies have been able to nail down a few great preventatives that may already be right in your fridge. That’s right! We’re talking about cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables. Experts agree that a daily dose of five-to-nine servings of fruits and veggies do the body good, especially when you incorporate these six foods into your meals:

Broccoli - In comparison to other cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower, cabbage and kale, broccoli is the leader in sulforaphane content. That means it has the most cancer-kicking power, boosting protective enzymes and working to eliminate harmful chemicals from the body. When it comes to broccoli more is better, so incorporate this green treat any time you can.

Blackberries - A high concentration of phytochemicals called anthocyanins make blackberries a sweet treat and the perfect cancer preventative. These powerful phytochemicals work to slow the growth of tumors and prevent them from becoming malignant. So, snacking on a half-cup of blackberries can really make a difference.

Tomatoes - Sweet, juicy and full of lycopene! Tomatoes and their high concentration of lycopene can help you put a wall up against endometrial cancer, a disease that kills nearly 8,000 people each year. Cooking tomatoes enhances the effect that lycopene has on your body, so get that pasta sauce up on the stove!

Walnuts - Kick breast cancer’s butt with an ounce of walnuts a day. These simple snacks contain phytosterols that work to block the growth of breast cancer cells.

Garlic - ..Not just for vampires! While you’re cooking up some lycopene (aka: tomato sauce) chop up a clove of garlic and add it to the mix. The phytochemicals in garlic act as a deterrent for the formation of nitrosamines in the stomach that can potentially cause colon cancer.

Beans - Black and navy beans have been proven to prevent the development of colon and breast cancer. Consuming a half-cup of legumes a week can help increase your body's levels of butyrate, a fatty acid that works to prevent cancer growth.

Sticking to a healthy diet can help significantly lower your risk of developing cancer, so get to the supermarket and fill up on your favorite cancer-fighting snacks.

At Great South Bay Surgical Associates, we pride ourselves in the multitude of services and procedures that we offer to our patients in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Comprised of eight leading doctors in the surgical field, our team is committed to providing exceptional services by using state of the art technologies while upholding our traditional values of caring and quality.

For more information or to schedule a consultation, click here to view our website or call 631-321-6801 today.

What is Sarcoma & Who is At Risk?

Unfortunately there are a wide variety of cancer types that can occur in the human body. One specifically rare cancer form is sarcoma, which grows in connective tissue unlike the more common carcinoma. There are over 50 different strands of sarcoma that are broken down into two distinct categories: soft tissue sarcoma and osteosarcoma (bone sarcoma). Though they are most commonly detected in the bones, muscles, tendons, cartilage, nerves, fat and blood vessels of your arms and legs, sarcomas have the ability to affect all parts of the body equally.

So who is at risk for developing sarcoma? Though the specific cause of sarcoma, and cancer in general, remains undiscovered, research has been able to pin down a few things that might increase your risk factor:

• Heredity - Like many health conditions, those that have family members that were affected by sarcoma in the past are more likely to develop the cancer themselves.
• Paget’s Disease - Those who have been diagnosed with Paget’s Disease, a rare chronic bone condition where one’s bones rebuild at a faster pace than normal, are at a higher risk. However, this disease only occurs in about 1% of people in the United States.
• Genetic Disorders - If you’ve been diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, Gardner syndrome, retinoblastoma, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, or any other form of genetic disorder, you may run a high risk of developing sarcoma later in life.
• Radiation - If you’ve had any kind of exposure to radiation or radiation therapy treatment, you may be more likely to fall victim to sarcoma.

Luckily, only about 1 out of 100 adult cancer cases are diagnosed as soft tissue sarcoma, and the odds are even more slim when it comes to osteosarcoma.

Although there are many different treatment options available, like most cancers, the best way to attempt to rid the body of sarcoma is with surgery. That’s where Great South Bay Surgical Associates can help. Our surgeons are the most knowledgeable in the industry, specializing in a wide variety or open and minimally invasive oncological surgery procedures.

For more information, click here or call 631-321-6801 to schedule a consultation.

Top Vitamins That Help Prevent Cancer

What the experts say is true! What you choose to eat has a direct effect on your health. But can a healthy, nutrient-rich diet prevent cancer? Though there are no sure-fire cures or definitive ways to prevent cancer, adopting a healthy diet can be a very beneficial deterrent. Here are some of the most important cancer-fighting vitamins that you should incorporate into your diet:

Beta carotene: Eating plenty of orange and green vegetables, like carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale, will ensure a healthy proportion of this nutrient in your daily diet. Research shows that beta carotene is beneficial in protecting the lungs specifically, reducing the risk of lung cancer.

Vitamin B6: Your body needs a hearty immune system to properly defend against disease. Eating a good amount of carrots, apples, bananas and leafy greens will help ensure that you're getting enough of this immuno-health booster.

Vitamin C: We all know how important it is to have a morning dose of fresh squeezed orange juice! That’s because it’s packed with Vitamin C, one of the most promising cancer-fighting vitamins researched thus far.

Folic Acid: This nutrient goes by several names and is especially helpful in protecting against cervical cancer. Also known as folate or vitamin B9, folic acid is found in beets, cabbage, dark leafy greens, eggs, citrus fruits, and many types of fish.

Vitamin E: This handy gastrointestinal defender works wonders to help protect against bowel cancer. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant protecting skin cells from damage caused by pollutants. Eggs, wheat germ, liver, unrefined vegetable oils, and dark green vegetables are high in this trusty vitamin.

At Great South Bay Surgical Associates we are committed to helping you and your family live healthy and happy lifestyles through the implementation of both educational and surgical procedures. Comprised of eight leading doctors in the surgical field, our team is committed to providing exceptional services by using state of the art technologies while upholding our traditional values of caring and quality.

For more information or to schedule a consultation call 631-321-6801.