Odds are, you are younger than me and you probably don’t have the same family history. But even so, you do need to have colon and rectal cancer on your radar.
There are more than 143,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year and, like with so many other cancers, if it is detected late, the prospect of surviving is greatly diminished. Almost 50,000 Americans died from colon or rectal cancer last year.
The other day a new study came out in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that, over a 20-year time period, death from colon and rectal cancer was reduced by over half for people who had the “gold standard” test -- colonoscopy. That’s the less than pleasant test that Katie Couric shared on television after her husband died from colon cancer, saving many lives.
EmpowHER’s Michelle King Robson has also shared her test, through video, after losing a friend who was afraid of the colonoscopy exam and kept putting it off.
https://www.empowher.com/colorectal-cancer/content/michelle-shares-her-colonoscopy-journey-video /
I had a follow-up colonoscopy recently. It took me out of work for a day between the test and the recovery from the sedative drugs. But it was well worth it to find out everything was normal. And the three hours of “prep” -- basically colon cleansing -- that happened the night before, was not that big a deal. I just had to stay home.
I’ve had several of these exams because my mother died of colon cancer and my father, now deceased, would develop pre-cancerous polyps that were easily detected and snipped out during colonoscopy.
I was relieved this time that nothing was seen in my case and I don’t have to come back for five years. If I didn’t have a family history the next test would be in ten years.
As I reflect on the prep and the test -- and the new study greatly validating its lifesaving effectiveness -- I urge you to consider this for yourself at age 50, or sooner if you have a family history.
And for your parents or other older loved ones, urge them to be checked. Truly, it could save their life.
Here’s a brief story that illustrates that. Years ago I was recording interviews with colon cancer survivors for the American Cancer Society. One survivor I interviewed was telling me what led to him having his cancer discovered and successfully treated.
As he explained, his father had died of colon cancer and this man was at his dad’s graveside with his six brothers and sisters. It was silent until one turned to another and asked “Have you been checked?”
The answer was “No,” all the way around. So they made a pact to each have a colonoscopy. Polyps showed up in one. And my interviewee had colon cancer discovered early when it could be treated with surgery.
So I asked him this simple question: “Are you telling me, that in a way, your dad’s death saved your life?”
And he responded, “That’s exactly what I am saying!”
I’ll never forget that moment. It just underscores how critical it is to be checked at the appropriate time. Don’t require the death of a loved one to trigger your vigilance. This is preventable cancer.
For expert information about colon cancer prevention, screening and treatment, please listen to my interview on Patient Power with Dr. Steven Stryker from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. http://www.patientpower.info/program/colorectal-cancer-a-treatable-and-often-preventable-malignancy/
About the author: Andrew Schorr is a medical journalist, cancer survivor and founder of Patient Power, a one-of-a-kind company bringing in-depth information to patients with cancer and chronic illness. Audio and video programs, plus transcripts, help patients make informed decisions to support their health in partnership with their medical team.
Patient Power is at www.PatientPower.info and on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Schorr is also the author of “The Web Savvy Patient: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Internet When Facing Medical Crisis" found at www.websavvypatient.com/
Resources:
Steven J. Stryker, M.D., Surgical Oncologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Interview recorded 12/22/09, Online at Patient Power at http://www.patientpower.info/program/colorectal-cancer-a-treatable-and-often-preventable-malignancy
National Cancer Institute, Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Accessed online 2/27/12 at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/colorectal/HealthProfessional/page1
New England Journal of Medicine, Colonoscopic Polypectomy and Long-Term Prevention of Colorectal-Cancer Deaths, Published online, 2/23/12 at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1100370
Associated Press, Study: Colonoscopy cuts colon cancer death risk, Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer, Published online 2/23/12 at
http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-23/lifestyle/31087870_1_colon-cancer-colonoscopy-growths
Reviewed February 28, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith