Dak Prescott Determined to End Colorectal Cancer
- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott lost his mother to colorectal cancer in 2013.
- In honor of his mother, Prescott is working with Stand Up to Cancer to fund an “early career scientist” to work on colorectal cancer research.
- Colonoscopies are one way to find small growths called polyps. Ninety-five percent of polyps are precancerous that would have ultimately been a cancer, so finding and removing them early as a result of a colonoscopy can prevent colorectal cancer.
Prescott’s mother, Peggy, passed away in 2013 from colon cancer. At the time, Prescott was playing football at Mississippi State University, but he left mid-season to help his brothers Jace and Tad take care of their mother while she underwent treatment. It was an emotionally taxing experience for Prescott as he watched his mom suffer with side effects like throwing up for 10 or more hours at a time. She was 52 when she passed away.
Read MorePrescott’s goal is to raise $50,000, and he said he would match all donations.View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
“This #MothersDay, I Stand Up for my mom and all the other moms out there who have been affected by cancer,” he writes. “In honor of my strong mother, I am determined to help save the lives of cancer patients before it's too late. My mother meant the world to me, and I will continue Standing Up to cancer every day in her honor.”
This isn’t the first time Prescott has made the commitment to contribute to the ongoing mission to end cancer and support cancer warriors and their families. His Faith Fight Finish foundation focuses on helping children find strength through adversity.
“The foundation focuses on fighting cancer and offering assistance to those facing life-challenging hardships; in honor of Dak's Mom, Peggy!” the website states.
Prescott has been working his way back from a major ankle injury he suffered in October. He dislocated and fractured his ankle and was forced to have multiple surgeries to repair the damage. Some thought the horrific injury (which some networks blurred on replay) would be career ending, but recently Prescott said he’s ready to play again.
Understanding Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the colon or rectum. Like any cancer, colorectal cancer presents its own unique challenges for patients on the road to recovery. But Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and colorectal surgeon at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, wants to remind people how far the treatment of this disease has come.
"One of the most exciting things about my job is that we've made a lot of progress on treatment options," Dr. Yeo says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet. "However, patients are still while they're living longer, they are still living with colon cancer, and so I think it's really important that we talk about how some of the things in your life affect you."
Navigating a Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis
Dr. Yeo also wants people to know how important colorectal screenings can be. In fact, she says most colorectal cancers can be prevented early with screening.
"In the United States, on a national level, colorectal cancer has been decreasing for the last 20 years," Dr. Yeo explains. "And much of that is thought to be directly due to screening for colon cancer."
How can you prevent colorectal cancer with screenings?
A colonoscopy is the best way to prevent colon cancer because it gives doctors the opportunity to find polyps, or small growths. Dr. Zuri Murrell from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles describes the process of finding a polyp during a colonoscopy.
"When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope," he says. "This means they put a wire through and pull the polyp out." Although this process may sound uncomfortable, Dr. Murrell assures us that this is not a painful procedure, since there are no pain fibers inside the colon.
"What happens is then when we take the polyp out, we send that to a lab," he says. "In about 5 to 10 business days, we get the results back. So when it's in the lab, a pathologist basically cuts up the little polyp and looks under a microscope. And underneath the microscope, they can decide whether or not it is early cancer or whether it is just a precancerous polyp."
Looking for Polyps During Colonoscopy
Ninety-five percent of polyps are precancerous polyps. This means that these polyps are not yet cancerous, but "it would have been a cancer ultimately if you just let it grow and grow and grow." Once the polyp is removed, the patient has a follow-up appointment in three to five years to make sure there's not another growth.
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