New Barrie clinic steps up fight against Colorectal Cancer

A new outpatient clinic in endoscopy procedures will welcome its first patients on September 6th. Barrie Endoscopy, located at 5 Quarry Ridge Road, is a state of the art facility founded by 10 endoscopists, which include seven General Surgeons and three Gastroenterologists, who all have privileges at Barrie's RVH. The new clinic will improve access to screening for colorectal cancer, the second most common cause of cancer related death in both men and women.

"Endoscopy refers to the internal examination of stomach, bile ducts, pancreas, and large and small intestine with a flexible instrument (endoscope) equipped with a video camera," remarks Dr. Doug Hemphill, a gastroenterologist and Medical Director at Barrie Endoscopy. "A colonscope is used to examine the colon (colonoscopy) and a gastroscope is used to examine the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (gastroscopy)," he adds, further explaining the procedure.

Demand for endoscopy procedures have been on the rise due to the rapid growth in colonoscopy procedures for screening colorectal cancer. Most hospital across the province have long wait lists for such procedures and the new clinic will help to ease the burden on the already taxed health care system.

"Part of the reason for the increased demand is that cancers start from transformations that can occur in benign colonic polyps," said Dr. Michael Anderson, Regional Lead, Surgical Oncologist and Barrie Endscopy physician. "Almost all cancers start from a polyp and those polyps occur in more than 25 per cent of men and 15 per cent of women over the age of 50. Removal of these polyps lowers the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Unlike mammography for breast cancer and PSA for prostate cancer, which are useful in detecting cancer at an early stage, polyp detection and removal by colonoscopy is a preventative strategy to avoid development of Colorectal Cancer. The sooner the screening can be done, and any polyps removed, the better the chance of preventing Colorectal Cancer," Dr. Anderson adds.

The new facility is equipped with the latest in endoscopic equipment and staffed by experienced physicians and endoscopy nurses. Patient sedation is administered by Anesthesiologists to maximize comfort and safety. The procedure is fully covered by OHIP.

For more information, speak to your family doctor or contact the clinic at (705) 797-1112