Colon Cancer Awareness Month Early Detection is Key

Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Early Detection is Key

Colon cancer screenings save lives. An estimated 60% of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented with timely screening. So, when should you start the screening process? It is now recommended they begin at 45—or possibly younger if you have a family history.

  More than likely, you’ve heard of colonoscopy as a screening tool for colon cancer. It is, after all, known as the “gold standard” of testing. Colonoscopies are recommended every five to 10 years for those at average to low risk. During the test, a physician (usually a gastroenterologist or general surgeon) uses a long, thin, flexible, lighted tube to check for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and colon.

  “During a colonoscopy, any polyps that we find, we work to remove,” said UK King’s Daughters gastroenterologist Diane Settles, M.D. “So, we detect several different sizes of polyps and we decrease your colon cancer risk. That is why colonoscopies are considered both a preventative and therapeutic test.”

  If you’re not at high risk for colon cancer, there are at-home screening options available, including the FIT test, which detects blood, and Cologuard, which looks for DNA in the stool. FIT tests must be performed annually. The Cologuard test must be performed every three years.

 A positive FIT or Cologuard test will require a follow-up colonoscopy. “Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the United States and often does not present until there are advanced symptoms. This is why early detection is so important,” said Dr. Settles. “Any screening modality that you will do has the potential to benefit and decrease your risk of colon cancer. If we do find colon cancer at an early stage, it often can be cured with just surgery.”

Family History

Family history plays a large role when determining when you should be screened for colon cancer. About a third of all colorectal cancers in the U.S. are diagnosed in people who have a close relative – mother, father, sister, brother – who have been diagnosed with the disease.

  “People who have a family history of colon cancer or a family history of precancerous polyps (adenomas) are at an increased risk,” said Dr. Settles.

  Age at diagnosis is another risk factor. If a relative was diagnosed before the age of 50 – the personal risk is even greater.

  If you have a parent, sibling or two secondary relatives (grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.) who have/had colon cancer or precancerous polyps (adenomas), subtract 10 years from their age of diagnosis to determine when you should be screened. For example, if your mom was screened at 47 and they found adenomas, you will need to start screening at age 37.

  For more information or to schedule a colon cancer screening, call King’s Daughters digestive health team at 606.408.8200 or 606.324.3188. Screenings are covered by most insurances for those 45 and older. A referral is not required for screening colonoscopy.

  King’s Daughters also offers a free online Colon Cancer Risk Assessment at KingsDaughtersHealth.com/HRA to help patients evaluate their personal risk for colon cancer.