Colorectal cancer screenings really do work

A first cousin of mine who lives in Atlanta recently lost his wife, Maureen, to cancer. It was a very rare form of lung cancer that generally affects women non-smokers in their forties and is usually detected too late to be treated.

My cousin and his wife were told by doctors at M.D. Anderson that it was called a “sneaky” cancer. She had numerous x-rays, scans and other tests, but it was two months before it was found, and by then there was nothing that could be done.

Maureen was from a large, loving family and left behind three children of her own.

My point in sharing this story is that while her cancer was undetectable and untreatable, colon cancer is exactly the opposite.

Colorectal cancer screening works.

Despite the myths about colorectal cancer, the reality is that this often-fatal disease doesn’t have to be. In Louisiana, it is estimated that 2330 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2009, and 910 died from the disease.

That puts Louisiana in the top 25 percentile for both incidences and deaths from the colon cancer.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to dispel some of the myths.

MYTH: There is nothing I can do about colorectal cancer.

REALITY: Colorectal cancer can be prevented. Screening tests can detect polyps (grape-like growths on the lining of the colon or rectum) that can turn into cancer. Removing these polyps can prevent colorectal cancer from ever occurring.

Starting at age 50, men and women who are at average risk should be screened regularly for colorectal cancer. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, are African-American or have other risk factors, you should begin screening earlier; ask your health care professional for recommendations.

MYTH: Colorectal cancer is usually fatal.

REALITY: Colorectal cancer is usually curable when detected early. More than 90 percent of patients with localized colorectal cancer confined to the colon or rectum are alive five years after diagnosis.

MYTH: Colorectal cancer is a disease of older, white men.

REALITY: An equal number of women and men get colorectal cancer. An estimated 71,380 women and 75,590 men were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2009. African Americans – and those with other risk factors – are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at later stages of the disease, and at a younger age.

MYTH: Screening tests are necessary only for individuals who have symptoms.

REALITY: Since symptoms of colorectal cancer are often silent, it is important to get screened regularly. Screenings test for a disease even if the patient has no symptoms. About 75 percent of all new cases of colorectal cancer occur in individuals with no known risk factors for the disease. If you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer polyps or inflammatory bowel disease you may need to be screened before age 50.

Talk with your health care professional.

2010 marks the 10th National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In these past 10 years many strides have been made against this disease that is largely preventable, treatable and beatable.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), incidences have dropped by 2.2 percent in women and 2.8 percent in men.

Moreover mortality has dropped by 4.3 percent. However, only about half of those who should be screened are having an acceptable screening test.

Talk to your health care professional about your family history, risk, and screening options for the disease. Screening is the best way to prevent and detect colorectal cancer, but research has shown that a healthy lifestyle can also be crucial in the prevention of this disease.

Maintain a healthy weight and exercise most days of the week. If you don’t smoke, don’t start, and if you do smoke, stop.

For more information about colorectal cancer prevention and early detection, visit the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Web site at www.preventcancer.org.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

– Peachy Melancon is a member of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention program of the Prevent Cancer Foundation and the wife of U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon. The Prevent Cancer Foundation provides information for congressional spouses to use in newspaper op-eds to help educate the public.