Colon Cancer: Preventable, Treatable, Beatable.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), colon cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the second leading cancer killer in the United States. It shouldn't be. Colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable. Colon cancer (or colorectal cancer) is cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. The colon and rectum are part of the body's digestive system. Abnormal growths, called polyps, can begin to grow in the colon. Polyps can become cancerous over time. Colon cancer screening tests can find and remove polyps before they become cancerous. If cancer develops, it is important to catch it early when treatment is most effective. Men and women ages 50 to 75 years should get colon cancer screenings.

Colon Cancer Risk

There are certain characteristics that may put you at a higher risk for developing colorectal cancer. If this is the case, you may need to be screened prior to age 50. Talk to your health care provider if:

• You have a personal history or family history of polyps or colon cancer.
• You or a family member has had inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
• You have a genetic syndrome, such as familial adenomatous polyposis or Lynch Syndrome.

You can lower your risk for colorectal cancer by eating healthy, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation and don't smoke.

Symptoms

Colon cancer may not cause symptoms, especially during early stages. If there are symptoms, they may include:

• Blood in stool or tar-like stool
• Stomach pain or cramps that do not go away
• Change in bowel movement habits — diarrhea or constipation
• Losing weight but not knowing why
• Penciling of the stool

If you have these symptoms, you should contact your health care provider.

Types of Screening Tests

There are different ways to screen for colon cancer. At-home stool tests including Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) and Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) are done in the privacy of your own home. You collect the sample and send it to a doctor's office or lab. These tests indicate if there is blood in your stool. If the test is positive for blood, a colonoscopy needs to be completed to determine the cause of the bleeding. FOBT and FIT are easy to use tests and do not require taking time off from work. They are done once a year.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy is another way to screen for colorectal cancer. A flexible sigmoidoscopy is completed at a doctor's office. The doctor inserts a short, thin, flexible lighted tube into the rectum to look for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and lower third of the colon. This test is done every 5 years.  

A well-known screening test is the colonoscopy. This procedure is completed at a medical office where medicine is given to make you comfortable or put you to sleep during the test. The doctor uses a tube similar to what is used in a sigmoidoscopy but longer to look for polyps or cancer in the rectum and colon. Any polyps found during the test can be removed. If the test results are normal, a colonoscopy can be done once every 10 years. If they are not normal, your doctor will order a colonoscopy sooner than 10 years.

No Insurance? High Co-pay or Deductible?

If you do not have insurance, or have a high co-pay or deductible associated with your insurance, the Cancer Services Program can help. The Cancer Services Program is a statewide, grant-funded program that covers the cost of colorectal cancer screenings for those who are uninsured and underinsured. Men and women 50 years of age and older can get free FIT kits once a year to screen for colorectal cancer. If the FIT kit test results show blood in the stool, the Cancer Services Program will also pay for follow-up testing. In the event that colon cancer is diagnosed, uninsured individuals may be eligible for the Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program. In addition to covering the cost of colon cancer screenings, the Cancer Services Program also offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to women starting at age 40. Call 1-888-345-0225 for more information or to enroll.

Get Screened!

Keep in mind that more than half of deaths from colon cancer could be prevented with regular screening. If you are 50 and older, or younger than 50 with an increased risk, please talk to your health care provider about which colon cancer screening test is right for you. Colon cancer is preventable. Get screened!

Information gathered from New York State Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.