March 28, 2024

Brown Medicine Endoscopy Center To Help Screen 80% Of Rhode Islanders For Colon Cancer

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East Providence, R.I. (March 14, 2019): As part of Colon Cancer Awareness Month in Rhode Island, the gastroenterologists at the Brown Medicine Endoscopy Center took the opportunity today to remind the public that colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable.

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, colon cancer prevention includes a high-fiber diet. “Serve yourself a double helping of cabbage this Sunday for dinner,” stated Brown Medicine Endoscopy Center Medical Director Thomas DeNucci, M.D. “Cabbage is low in fat and contains a healthy dose of fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. It’s very beneficial for a healthy colon.”

Rhode Island is participating in the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable’s Blue Star States campaign. The Blue Star symbol (a blue star merged with a ribbon) represents the fight against colon cancer as well as the eternal memory of people whose lives have been lost to the disease. Brown Medicine Endoscopy Center, an outpatient medical suite dedicated to the prevention and treatment of digestive issues including colon cancer, reached out to the State of Rhode Island as well as to the City of East Providence to get March recognized as Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Proclamations from both Governor Gina Raimondo and East Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva were presented at a ceremony held this afternoon at the Endoscopy Center on Amaral Street in Riverside.

“Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.,” noted Dr. DeNucci. “With proper screening to remove polyps which are clumps of cells that can become cancerous, the survival rate is very high. There can be no symptoms, so it’s not advisable to wait until changes in stool, abdominal pain or bleeding present themselves before seeing a gastroenterologist.” He also identified those at risk including people aged 50 or older, African Americans, those who smoke or drink heavy amounts of alcohol, or people aged 45 or older with a family history.

“The City of East Providence sees the seriousness of bringing awareness to colon cancer – a disease that will impact one in 22 men and one in 24 women in their lifetime,” Mayor DaSilva said. “For this reason, the city has officially declared March as Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Brown Medicine in its efforts to bring awareness to this disease and to screen 80 percent of all Rhode Islanders,” DaSilva added. “In achieving this goal, Rhode Island is one step closer to becoming a Blue Star State.”

For more information or to make an appointment for colon cancer screening, call 401-649-4030 or visit brownmed.org/endoscopy.





Established in 2018, the Brown Medicine Endoscopy Center is a 9,295-sq. ft. outpatient endoscopy suite offering personalized, skilled patient care in a convenient setting. Diagnostic and therapeutic upper endoscopy and colonoscopy services are performed by a team of experienced Brown Medicine gastroenterologists, nurses, technicians and assistants who specialize in treating digestive disorders. The Center features state-of-the-art technology, comfortable recovery rooms, easy highway access, and plenty of free parking. It is located at 62 Amaral Street in East Providence, R.I. Phone: 401-649-4030.

Established in 2000, Brown Medicine is a nonprofit primary care, specialty outpatient and sub-specialty medical group practice with over 200 physicians and multiple patient care locations across the state of Rhode Island. One of the largest physician groups in Rhode Island, Brown Medicine is affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and employs most of the full-time faculty of Brown’s Department of Medicine. Specialties and clinical divisions include: general internal medicine; primary care; diabetes and endocrinology; infectious disease; hospital medicine; hypertension and kidney diseases; hematology/oncology; nephrology; pulmonary, critical care and sleep; gastroenterology; rheumatology and geriatrics. Over 100,000 patients are served annually from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and other states and countries. The three-part mission of Brown Medicine is high-level quality medical patient care, state-of-the-art clinical research studies, and dedicated teaching of more than 400 medical students, residents and fellows trained by Brown Medicine physicians annually. Brown Medicine is headquartered at 110 Elm Street in Providence, RI 02903; phone: 877-771-7401; web: www.BrownMed.org

Brown Medicine is part of Brown Physicians, Inc., a clinical, research and teaching affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

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