- Cancer Care, Plastic Surgery & Skin Care, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThey go by many names: beauty marks, birthmarks and moles. Whether you love them or hate them, there are many reasons you may consider having one or more of your moles removed. According to Plastic Surgeon Devinder Singh, MD, of AAMG Plastic Surgery, reasons for mole removal vary, including: To lessen irritation when wearing makeup, jewelry or clothing. To reduce problems when shaving. To smooth skin and improve appearance. To determine a diagnosis. But, these seemingly harmless spots on the skin may be hiding a deadly disease: skin cancer. These marks are made up of pigment-producing cells that can develop into a tumor. In other cases, cancer cells from different tumors can spread to other parts of the body, including the skin. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and can affect anyone at any age. More than three-and-a-half million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year—that’s more than the incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. “These spots can appear simply because they’re part of your genetic make-up, or they can appear due to sun exposure,” explains Dr. Singh, chief and medical director of plastic surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center. And while most beauty spots aren’t harmful, Dr. Singh recommends seeing a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon to have them examined. “Your age and the condition of your skin determine how often you should go for an examination,” he says. “The chance of your moles turning into cancer increases with more exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light.” How can you tell if a beauty mark is just a harmless spot or a mark masking cancer cells? “Only your doctor can identify if a spot is cancerous,” says Dr. Singh. “But there are several warning signs that may indicate skin cancer.” To do a self-check of your moles, Dr. Singh recommends using the ABCDE method: A for Asymmetry: One half of the mark is different from the other half. B for Border Irregularity: The edges are notched, uneven or blurred. C for Color: The color is uneven. Shades of brown, tan and black are present. D for Diameter: The diameter is greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser). E for Evolving: There is change in size, color or shape, or symptoms such as itching or bleeding begin. “If you notice any of these, you should see your doctor immediately. Even if the mole doesn’t need to be removed right away, you can have it removed for preventative purposes,” says Dr. Singh. Contributor Devinder Singh, MD, is chief and medical director of plastic surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
- Heart Care, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen cardiac rehab patient Eilene Pottorff first came to our Outpatient Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program, she was discouraged about starting her road to recovery–until one day when she found herself in a row of treadmills between two other rehab patients, both named Carol. “They managed to cheer me up to no end,” says Eilene. “So after that, as each new female patient would come in to exercise, we would go over and talk to her, ask her what she had. We’d show her our scars and by the time we walked away, she would be laughing and feeling a lot better.” But the friendships didn’t end there. Soon, this growing group of women started going out for lunch after they finished their rehab sessions. “Then we started going to someone’s home because it was cheaper,” Eileen remarks. From there, the “Lunch Bunch” club was born. “We realized that as the women finished their prescribed 36 visits and then left the rehab center, we didn’t know their names or address and would never see them again,” says Eilene. “So we started a club called The Lunch Bunch.” Eilene spreads the word about the club throughout the rehab center, telling new patients, “‘It’s a club with no dues, no by-laws, no elections and no fights…and the best thing of all is, no one will ever read the minutes of the last meeting.’ That gets them interested every time,” she says. With 37 members, the Lunch Bunch has been hosting monthly gatherings for 13 years. Each member has been through cardiac rehab at AAMC. “We jokingly say that we got ‘well and happy and pretty’ all thanks to the staff at the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center,” says Eilene. AAMC offers a variety of rehabilitation services, including cancer therapy, occupational and speech therapy, and physical therapy.
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogSkin Cancer Prevention: Enter Our Contest! May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. To spread awareness about skin cancer prevention, we’re giving away a $200 Ray-Ban® gift card. There are lots of ways to help prevent skin cancer–show us yours! Send a photo of how you protect yourself from the sun to [email protected] before June 1 for a chance to win! Your photos will be featured on our Facebook page. Skin Cancer Reading List What Really Happens When You Sunburn? Sunburn and Sunshine: 4 Surprising Ways Your Skin Can Be Damaged Skin Cancer Screenings: Know What to Look For *To be eligible to win the $200 Ray-Ban® gift card you must email a photo before June 1, 2016. You are limited to one chance to win. One winner will be chosen at random on May 31, 2016. By emailing us your photo, you automatically grant Anne Arundel Medical Center the right to use your photo for AAMC-related purposes, including but not limited to posting your photo on our Facebook page. Contest winner must live in Maryland., D.C. or Virginia. Employees of AAMC are not eligible to win.
- Community, Giving, News & Press Releases, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLast year, AAMC was the recipient of a grant award through the Stulman Foundation to fund Referrals for Recovery (“RforR”), a model program designed to meet the needs of patients who require immediate behavioral health intervention. Through this program, primary care and OBGYN physicians identify patients in need of mental health care by using the Quick Behavioral Health Assessment (“QBHA”), developed by AAMC behavioral health experts. Once a patient is identified, he or she is connected immediately via a dedicated referral line to the RforR team, comprised of a Referral Specialist and Behavioral Health Navigator. Together these professionals ensure that referred patients are appropriately assessed and placed in treatment within 48 hours. The RforR program at AAMC has identified and secured appropriate behavioral health care for more than 500 patients in need. This program has allowed AAMC to increase accessibility to critical mental health needs for everyone in our community, as well as helped solidify community partnerships throughout the region. The RforR program represents the important advances in care that can happen from philanthropic support and grant funding. To learn more about supporting mental healthcare programs provided by AAMC please call 443-481-4747.
- UncategorizedGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWith so many television commercials talking about different health issues, it’s no wonder folks are confused about digestive tract concerns. There are several health conditions that affect the digestive tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. One disease I often hear about is a group of chronic intestinal diseases called inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD is a group of conditions that cause the body’s own immune system to attack all or part of its digestive tract. Immune cells normally protect the body from infection, but in someone with IBD the immune system mistakes harmless substances for foreign substances and attacks them. This creates inflammation or infection. About 1.6 million Americans have IBD, according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Doctors diagnose 70,000 new cases of IBD in the United States each year. Although anyone can have IBD, most people with the disease are between 15 and 35 years old. The two most common IBDs are ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease. UC affects the large intestine (the colon) and Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. It’s common to confuse Crohn’s disease and UC with other conditions because they share common symptoms. These symptoms may include significant and persistent diarrhea, stomach pain and cramps, bloody stools (more typical with UC), fatigue, reduced appetite and unintended weight loss. There’s not one specific trigger for IBD, and flare-ups are often unpredictable. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, the first step is talking openly with your primary care doctor. Your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for Crohn’s disease and the only cure for UC is removing the large intestine. A gastroenterologist can help pinpoint the best and latest treatment based on your individual needs. Treatment options include changes in diet and nutrition, surgery, alternative therapies and prescribed medicines. Know that self-medication is never a solution. Over-the-counter medications may mask the diarrhea and pain, but they don’t stop intestinal damage. A gastroenterologist can help control your symptoms and help prevent long-term damage. In addition to medication, it’s important to eat healthy, get enough sleep, exercise regularly and manage your stress. With proper care and plenty of patience, many IBD patients achieve long-term remission. Author Dr. Mark Flasar is a gastroenterologist at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
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