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heavily in decisions about safely returning to diving and
require careful consideration.
Colon
Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death, and
when it’s caught late it has a poor prognosis. Treatment can
include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Surgical resection
of diseased bowel may require the creation of a colostomy or
an ileostomy — a surgical opening in the abdominal wall that
allows bowel contents to empty into a bag affixed externally to
the skin. Such devices may be temporary or permanent.
If general health and physical endurance are consistent
with safe diving practices, people can dive with ostomy
bags. Special care should be taken to ensure protection of
the surrounding skin, which can become irritated due to
exposure to fecal contents. Starting the dive with an empty
bag is also a good idea. Despite the common concern about
gas expansion, no pressurized gas is added during diving, so
there should not be an appreciable risk of bag rupture on
ascent.
Portacaths
For patients who require repeated administration of
medications or repeated blood draws, a catheter may be
placed under the skin in the upper-right part of the chest.
Such venous catheters are safe for divers and pose neither a
risk of infection (as they are under the skin) nor of gas entry.
Conclusions
People with cancer may be medically cleared to dive,
provided their health status is commensurate with strenuous
activity and the cancer’s location does not place them at
elevated risk of injury or loss of consciousness (lung and
brain cancer are of particular concern). Divers with a recent
history of cancer treatment should complete all therapy,
allow sufficient time for rehabilitation and be medically
cleared prior to returning to diving.
AD
Cancer is the second-
leading cause of death
in the United States
Clockwise from left: MRI is an important tool for
diagnosing many cancers. External-beam radiation
therapy targets tumors with high-energy beams.
Colonoscopy allows direct visualization of the large
intestine and biopsy of potentially abnormal tissue.
Pathologists use microscopic evaluation, among other
techniques, to determine cancer grades and stages.
BARAN OZDEMIR/ISTOCKPHOTO
MARK KOSTICH/ISTOCKPHOTO
SVEN HOPPE/ISTOCKPHOTO
Sebastian Kaulitzki/SHUTTERSTOCK
References
1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2013.
Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013.
/
documents/document/acspc-036845.pdf
2. Screening for Colorectal Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force Recommendation Statement 2008.
uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf08/colocancer/colors.pdf
