Take control of your health and don’t put off life saving care!
Dr. Dougherty at MDI Hospital is accepting patients for screenings, colonoscopies, and non-invasive procedures. With immediate availability, talk to your PCP about a referral or call 207.288.5024 for more information.
Meet Dr. Dougherty! “Every patient deserves unique, individualized care that works for them and meets them in the places where they are ready and able to heal and grow. There is no cookie-cutter solution that works for everyone in all circumstances, and ultimately the patient is the captain of their own ship. My role is to serve as a guide and counselor to help each patient navigate their healthcare journey, providing them with the best current medical information and available options so they can decide what route is best for them; and once a plan is selected, to help them execute that vision effectively and efficiently.”
Joseph Dougherty, MD, specializes in general surgery, acute care, and trauma surgery. Having graduated from the UC Berkeley (BA) and the University of Michigan (MD), Dr. Dougherty is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.
More reasons to get screened:
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, accounting for about 10% of all cancer cases. It is on the rise in the US and is being seen in patients at younger ages than ever before. In the US, the incidence rate of CRC in people ages 20-49 nearly doubled from 1992-2018.
- About 90% of colorectal cancers are caused by environmental exposures such as low-fiber and high-fat diets, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use, which occurred decades before a patient was diagnosed.
- In early 2023, the American Cancer Society reported that 20% of diagnoses in 2019 were in patients under the age of 55, which is double the rate in 1995, and rates of advanced disease increased by about 3% annually in people younger than 50. It is predicted that in 2023, an estimated 19,550 diagnoses and 3,750 deaths would in people younger than 50.
- It is because of these factors that the age for colorectal cancer screenings are now recommended to begin at age 45, Five years earlier than previously recommended, with continued screenings periodically until age 75.
