Digestive Health Update: Q&A with Dr. Fraser Stokes
Is colorectal cancer a common problem, and is it treatable or even preventable?
Yes, this form of cancer is very common. Colorectal cancer is discovered in 142,000 Americans each year. Roughly, 50,000 of these will die from this malignancy.
If a person lives to be 75-80 years old, he or she has a 5% chance of contracting colorectal cancer. This disease occurs 25% more often in men and 20% more often in blacks.
The five year survival rate for colorectal cancer is now 61%. The cure rate for this condition has been gradually increasing since the 1980’s due to two factors: 1) we are finding these cancers earlier thanks to more screening tests being done, and 2) more effective treatment is available with improved chemotherapy and radiation therapy regimens.
The primary treatment for colorectal cancer, however, is surgical. Most of these cancers are now being removed by way of the laparoscope. This is sometimes referred to as keyhole surgery. It allows for less patient discomfort after the operation, as well as a faster recovery time. With the advent of modern surgical techniques, very few patients now need to have a “bag” or colostomy from their surgery.
The most important thing to remember about colorectal cancer is that it is usually preventable. This makes it drastically different from breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
The primary reason for this has to do with how colorectal cancer develops. A tiny benign mass or polyp slowly grows over a 7-10 year period into a large polyp and finally into a cancer.
When physicians do colonoscopies, we very carefully examine the inside of the colon for these polyps. If we find benign polyps, we are nearly always able to completely remove them during the colonoscopy procedure with special catheters called snares. Once a polyp is removed, that area of the colon is no longer at high risk for forming a cancer.
An important fact is that polyps are silent. They produce no symptoms. Simply put, patients can’t tell if they have polyps inside them. The only way to know if a person has a polyp is for them to have a screening colonoscopy.
Most cases of colon cancer develop in patients beginning at age 50 or above. For this reason, the American Cancer Society and many other medical organizations recommend that average risk folks have a colonoscopy beginning at age 50. Since colorectal cancer develops over such a long period of time, most societies recommend that a colonoscopy be done only every ten years.
These recommendations change a bit for persons with a family history of colon cancer or advanced colon polyps whereby colonoscopy needs to be done earlier and more frequently.
March is national colorectal cancer awareness month. This disease used to be “in the closet,” meaning people were very hesitant to talk about it. Furthermore, they used to be highly reluctant to have a colonoscopy.
Times have certainly changed. Celebrities, like Katie Couric, now have their colonoscopies done on national TV. Most people are proud to say they got checked for colon cancer and are excited to encourage their friends and family to get their screening colonoscopy.
A colonoscopy is a fairly easy thing to do in 2012. New laxative preps are much more tolerable overall. Many of these exams are done in private comfortable ambulatory surgery centers or in specialized hospital outpatient departments. Nearly all colonoscopies are now done with closely monitored twilight anesthesia making the patient experience akin to taking a gentle nap.
Within the last 5 years, it became a state law that private health insurance companies must pay for screening colonoscopies in individuals starting at age 50. Medicare and Medicaid also uniformly cover these exams.
March is an excellent month to do some research on colorectal cancer and to consider a screening colonoscopy for you or a loved one. It could save a life.
For further questions regarding colon cancer screening, contact the gastroenterology team at SWGI Specialists at 7244377677 or at www.swgispecialists.com