March has been designated as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Colorectal cancer is also one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. It is important to recognize that there are no symptoms of colon cancer in its early stages, so getting screened is the only way to detect the cancer early.
It is estimated that as many as 60% of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if individuals aged 50 years and older were routinely screened. Abnormal pre-cancerous growths, known as polyps, develop in the colon or rectum. Screening tests can identify those growths, which can be removed before they turn cancerous.
Stanley Subaru is proud to offer this information graciously shared with us from Healthy Acadia. As part of our True Health Employee Wellness Program, Stanley Subaru offers this information to our employees, friends and family, and to our community. Healthy
Acadia is proud to promote the "ScreenME for Life" program.
ScreenME for Life is part of the Maine Colorectal Cancer Program,
Maine CDC, DHHS. The program helps all Mainers understand the
critical importance of being screened for colon cancer, provides
no-cost screening services for Mainers who do not have health
insurance (or who have health insurance that does not pay for the
costs of this important test), and connects Mainers with the
resources they need to prevent, detect and survive colon cancer.
What is colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer includes cancers of the colon and rectum. While colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, it is also one of the most detectable - and, if found early enough - most treatable forms of cancer.
Most colorectal cancers develop first as colorectal polyps, which are growths inside the colon or rectum. Colorectal cancer can be prevented if the polyps are detected and removed before they become cancerous - which is why regular screening is so important!
Facts & figures:
Colorectal cancer is the #2 cause of cancer death in men and women in the U.S.
Maine has the eighth highest colon cancer death rate in the U.S.
In 2004, an estimated 144,940 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed, with 56,730 Americans expected to die of colorectal cancer.
In 2004, an estimated 800 Mainers were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, causing 310 deaths.
Colorectal cancer is 90% treatable when detected early. Screening can find polyps before they become cancer. The most common symptom is no symptom at all.
For those with Medicare coverage, it is important to know that Medicare covers a colonoscopy every two years for people at high risk of colorectal cancer. There is no age limit. Some high risk factors include, but are not limited to:
A close relative (sibling, parent or child) who has had colorectal cancer
A family history of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
A personal history of colorectal cancer
A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Talk with your doctor about the screening test that is right for you. As the ScreenME for Life program so aptly states: "While there are many reasons you could give for not getting a colonoscopy, there are many more reasons to get screened - most importantly, it can save your life!"
Precautions I Can Take:
As we all know, the best way to stay well is to live a healthy lifestyle. A few simple precautions now can help significantly improve your chances of avoiding colorectal cancer altogether:
Eat right for life
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
- Keep your fat intake to less than 30% of your total calories
- Avoid foods high in cholesterol
- Limit alcohol intake
Watch your weight
Studies show that maintaining a healthful body weight decreases cancer risk.
Quit smoking!
In addition to a host of other potentially fatal side effects, smoking raises your risk of colon cancer.
Start getting screened when you turn 50!
The most important precaution you can take is to get screened. Screenings can find polyps before they become cancer and colorectal cancer is 90% treatable when detected early. If you have a family history of Colo-rectal cancer, screenings should start earlier than 50.
Unfortunately, the most common symptom of colorectal cancer is no symptom at all. However, the following symptoms MAY indicate a problem: a change in bowel habits, diarrhea, constipation or vomiting, narrower than normal stools, unexplained weight loss, constant tiredness, blood in the stool, abdominal discomfort, a feeling that the bowel does not empty completely, or unexplained anemia. If you experience any of these symptoms for more than a few days, talk to your doctor about colorectal cancer screening.
Screenings Save Lives!
Colorectal cancer can be prevented by removing precancerous polyps or growths, which can be present in the colon for years before invasive cancer develops.
Having regular screening tests, beginning at age 50, could save your life. Screening tests can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best and the chance for a full recovery is very high.
Four tests are recommended for colorectal cancer screening:
1. The fecal occult blood test (FOBT), which checks for hidden blood in three consecutive stool samples.
2. In flexible sigmoidoscopy exams, physicians use a flexible, lighted tube (sigmoi- doscope) to visually inspect the interior walls of the rectum and part of the colon.
3. In colonoscopy exams, physicians use a flexible, lighted tube (colonoscope), which is longer than the sigmoidoscope, to visually inspect the interior walls of the rectum and the entire colon. During this procedure, samples of tissue may be collected for closer examination or polyps may be removed. Colonoscopies can be used as screen- ing tests or as follow-up diagnostic tools when the results of another screening test are positive.
4. The double-contrast barium enema test comprises a series of X-rays of the colon and rectum, which are taken after the patient is given an enema containing barium dye followed by an injection of air in the lower bowel.
Several scientific organizations recommend regular screening for all adults aged 50 years or older.
Recommended screening tests and intervals are as follows:
- FOBT every year, or
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or
- Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years, or
- Colonoscopy every 10 years.
Sources: Maine Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. For more information about colorectal cancer, call 1-877-320-6800 TTY: 1-800-438-5514 (Deaf/Hard of Hearing) or visit www.mainepublichealth.gov.
For more information regarding colon cancer and screening measures please visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ and search colon cancer. On this site you'll find glossaries, interactive videos and much more. For more information on the ScreenME for Life program, contact Community Healthy Coordinators Kelly Corson or Janet Lewis at Healthy Acadia 207-288-5331.
