Women's Only Colonoscopy

You've heard it on TV. You've heard it from your mother. You've heard it from Katie Couric. A colonoscopy could save your life. Yet, you can't quite get yourself to make the appointment. After all, it isn't as fun as a trip to the dentist. She's just peering into your mouth.

I understand your hesitancy, in fact recent studies have shown that women prefer that a female perform their colonoscopies. One of the most common reasons cited for wanting a female physician was embarrassmentⁱ.

I have created the Women's Only Colonoscopy, where both the physician performing the procedure (me) and the nurse assisting with it are women. My goal in doing this is to ensure a safe, comfortable environment in which women can be screened for colon cancer.

Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death, and women are at as much risk for it as men. Colon cancer has been referred to as the "silent killer," because it usually does not cause any symptoms until it is quite advanced. Some concerning symptoms which may be due to colon cancer are: rectal bleeding or pain, change in regular bowel habits, unexplained anemia, weight loss, and new onset of lower abdominal pain.

Most colon cancers develop slowly. They begin as abnormal growths of tissue found on the wall of the colon known as adenomatous polyps. Over time some of these polyps can go on to develop precancerous changes. These polyps eventually turn into cancer, which can spread and become incurable. If these polyps are found and taken out before they become cancer, a person's risk of developing colon cancer can decrease by up to 90%. If the polyp does turn into cancer, the earlier that cancer is found, the better chance of successful treatment and decreased risk of dying from it.

Screening for colon cancer aims to find these abnormal polyps or early cancers before a person experiences symptoms from them. The American Cancer Society recommends average-risk people to start screening for colon cancer at the age of 50.

The American College of Gastroenterology recommends colonoscopy as the preferred method of screening in both men and women. However, the type of screening you should have is based on your risk factors for colon cancer as well as your preferences.

For more information regarding scheduling, please contact the Women's Integrated Services in Health at the University of Colorado Hospital.

[i] Full Article Menees SB, et al. Women patients' preference for women physicians is a barrier to colon cancer screening. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 2005; 62(2):219-223.

Education

Medical School
New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 1994-1998

Internship
Surgical, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 1998-1999

Internship
Internal Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2000-2001

Residency
Internal Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 2001-2003

Research Fellowship
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 2003-2004

Fellowship
Gastroenterology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 2004-2007

HONORS AND AWARDS

Solomon Scholars Award for Outstanding Original Research Performed during Residency Training
Phi Beta Kappa
Ida and John Kauderer Prize for Best Premedical Student Majoring in Chemistry
Prize for Best Student in Analytical Chemistry

FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, July 2007-present

Professional Societies

American Gastroenterological Association, 2004-present
American College of Gastroenterology, 2004-present
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2004-present
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, 2004-present

Representative Publications

1. Hasan AG, Brown WR. A model for mortality-morbidity conferences in gastroenterology. Gastrointest Endosc 2007; 65(5):AB316.

2. Anderson GR, Hasan AG, Yin H, Qadri I, Quattrochi LC. Regulation of the CYP1A1 gene by 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, but not β- naphthoflavone or 3-methylcholanthrene is altered in hepatitis C virus replicon-expressing cells. Molecular Pharmacology, 2006;70:1062-1070.

3. Pimentel M, Mayer AG, Park S, Chow EJ, Hasan AG, Kong Y. Methane production during lactulose breath test is associated with gastrointestinal disease presentation. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 2003;48(1):86-92.