Colonoscopies essential in detecting possible cancer diagnosis

It’s not a widely known fact, but colon cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Because of this, officials at Gundersen Health System are emphasizing the importance of regular screening to make sure any sign of the disease is addressed immediately.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and Gundersen gastroenterologist Dr. Steve Schlack-Haerer says it’s a good time to schedule a colonoscopy if you’re due. He says this screening method is the most effective option when it comes to detecting a polyp before it turns into a tumorous cancer. And just recently, the average age for a person to get their first colonoscopy dropped from 50 to 45.

“The screening recommendations have changed because we’re seeing an increase in colon cancer in that 45- to 49-year-old range,” Dr. Schlack-Haerer says. “Now 45 is the new 50.”

Having the screening done every 10 years is the recommendation, regardless of if you have symptoms or not. Obvious signs that you should pay attention to include abdominal pain, blood in the stool or a change in bowel pattern.

Family history plays a large role in determining risk factors, and it could move up the age at which testing begins, especially for those with close relatives who’ve had colon cancer. But most cases, Dr. Schlack-Haerer says, are what’s known as “sporadic colon cancer,” which affects people without a family history or other risk factors for the disease.

“The reality is, it’s a risk for males and females and can happen at any age,” he says. “We’ll occasionally, unfortunately, find colon cancer in people with no risk factors whatsoever and as early as 20s and 30s.”

Luckily if the disease is caught early, meaning is hasn’t spread outside the wall of the colon, the five-year mortality rate is better than 90 percent. If it’s progressed further and spreads locally, chemotherapy may follow a surgical procedure to move the lesions. Should the cancer spread more widely, Dr. Schlack-Haerer says, the prognosis is much poorer.

“We have such a long screening window, longer than any other malignancy out there, and so we really have an opportunity to make a major difference on this,” he says. “We owe this to screening.”

And a colonoscopy, he assures, is not as unpleasant as popular opinion might suggest. Patients are sedated and the process is more comfortable than presumed.

“Don’t fear the test,” he says. “We do a lot of good with this test, and it’s the best way to keep you from getting colon cancer.”

 

To schedule a colonoscopy, talk to your primary care provider or call Gundersen’s Gastroenterology Department at (608) 775-2702.

Source: WRJC.com

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