March: Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Because March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the message from the team of physicians at Texas Modern Gastroenterology in Sulphur Springs is that now is a good time for the public to be aware of how common colon cancer has become.

Yet, it is one of the only cancers that can truly be prevented. Many factors go into diagnosing colon cancer; it can be family history-related and is not always diet-related. Today’s modern colonoscopy process plays a pivotal role in the early diagnosis of colon cancer.

The team of doctors at Texas Modern Gastroenterology is actually a married couple. Dr. Mena Milad, who grew up in the Fort Worth area, and his wife, Dr. Vivian Ebrahim of Dallas, are both board-certified physicians in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. They have located their offices inside the East Texas Surgery Center at 1402 Medical Drive, near the local hospital just behind Sulphur Springs Imaging.

According to Dr. Milad, “during a colon screening, small warts or polyps may be revealed within the colon which, if undetected, can continue to grow and can turn into cancer. Today, younger people are also in need of colonoscopy screening. It used to be that everyone over 50 was encouraged to get screenings, but colon cancer has become so common now, appearing in younger and younger people, that our industry’s suggestion for screening has now changed to the age of 45. If you haven’t already, it’s time to get screened. Once you are scheduled to come in for a colonoscopy or other surgical procedure at East Texas Surgical Center, your exposure to other individuals while in the waiting room is much lower, and costs for the procedures are lower as well”.

Dr. Ebrahim noted that female patients often prefer to talk to a woman about their gastro issues. Dr. Ebrahim is the only female gastroenterology physician practicing in the immediate area, and shared, “a major thing we see in patients is that they wait until they have symptoms like bleeding, belly pain, or changes in bowel function before they seek a doctor’s help. Then, they go in for a colonoscopy. We want people to be screened while they are feeling fine, and let those ongoing screenings mark any changes that may begin to occur. This can prevent colon cancer from happening”.

In explaining the name of their practice, she continued, “at Texas Modern Gastroenterology, we offer caring, comprehensive digestive care. Our practice is modern in the sense that we use evidence-based guidelines and the newest techniques in our field. Because the digestive system is one of the windows into the body, there are times when something is going wrong and will show up as a digestive disorder, and we can give that attention. Many people are afraid of having a colonoscopy, so we try to make the process less scary or embarrassing and to give a positive and good experience. Also, we take care of the liver; things like hepatitus-C, fatty liver, and other liver issues. We also treat hemorrhoids, bleeding, constipation, incontinence, IBS, and other issues that may be life-limiting for our patients”.

Dr. Milad attended medical school at UT Southwestern, did his Internal Medicine residency at Scott & White in Temple, and did Gastroenterology Fellowship in El Paso. After that, he began his practice in Sulphur Springs. Dr. Ibrahim was born in Dallas, did her undergraduate work at SMU, graduated Texas Tech School of Medicine in Lubbock, performed a residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, and completed fellowship training at Baylor University Medical Hospital. She then practiced in a Greenville clinic before putting down roots in Sulphur Springs with her husband.

Dr. Milad advises, “When it’s time for your colonoscopy, I think it’s worth asking your doctor if your screening can be conducted within the surgical center where we practice. I and Dr. Ebrahim are excited that the people within the city of Sulphur Springs and in the broader area now have access to this surgical center.

You can reach us by phone at 903-558-2222, by email at info@txmoderngi. com, or visit our website at www.txmoderngi.com.”

Hear the complete interview in Down Home Today with Enola Gay Podcast, in episode #45 starting March 18, on our website, www.ssnewstelegram. com.