Screening For Colon Cancer
- Football coach Deion Sanders recently underwent a colonoscopy even though he didn’t want to. He’s hoping his strength, determination, and proactive efforts in cancer prevention will inspire other men to get screened for colon cancer.
- Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum). It is highly treatable especially if caught early with screening.
- A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon. Experts recommend screening begin at age 45; however, if you are at higher risk screening may begin earlier. It’s best to discuss your risk of colon cancer and screening time with your doctor.
- The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45.
- Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and surgical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, previously told SurvivorNet, “Colon cancer is considered a silent and deadly killer. What happens is people often don’t know that they have colon cancer. They don’t have any symptoms. That’s why we screen for colon cancer in the United States.”
- Colon cancer symptoms will most notably impact your bowel habits. If you notice a change in your bowel habits or changes in your stool, talk to your doctor. Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss.
The 56-year-old former professional football and baseball player, known for being the only person to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, not only motivates the Colorado Buffaloes football team he coaches, but he often shares inspirational words on social media, and more recently is urging others to get colonoscopies.
Read MoreSanders, who dubs himself “Coach Prime” on social media captioned an Instagram post from earlier this month, featured a photo of himself after the procedure with his palms together in a prayer position, “Men I need y’all to hear me CLEARLY! I had a COLONOSCOPY today & I was all good. I didn’t want to but I needed to do it and so do u.”View this post on Instagram
He continued, “Let’s be PROACTIVE regarding our HEALTH & stop acting like we all good. Let’s be SURE. Thank you @cubuffsfootball Trainer @laurenjaskevold for always being there. God bless u girl. #CoachPrime by the way that @snoopdogg they gave me was GOOOOOOT & I was out in 6seconds.”
Sanders’ post certainly sheds some light on the medical procedure which involves an endoscopic examination of the large bowel, which includes the colon, rectum and anus, as well as the distal portion of the small bowel.
A few weeks prior to getting a colonoscopy, Sanders shared a selfie of himself beaming with joy, writing, “I’m Smiling because I Trust God in every way.
“There’s no need to worry or become anxious. God got this and I’m his man.”
Expert Resources On Colon Cancer
- 5 Possible Signs of Colon Cancer; Don’t Be Afraid to Look in the Toilet!
- Anxiety Around Colon Cancer Diagnosis
- Biomarkers in Colon Cancer
- Can a Blood Test Screen for Colon Cancer? Guardant Health Chief Medical Officer Shares Promising Update
- The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
- Biomarkers in Colon Cancer: Understanding KRAS, BRAF, and HER2
- Colon Cancer Screening Options And Genetics: Myth Busting With Dr. Heather Yeo
View this post on Instagram
It’s great to see Sanders’ doing what needs to be done in order to maintain his health and be the best he can be.
He said in a recent video shared on his Instagram page, “Even with all my accomplishments, and with all my accolades, I don’t feel like I’ve arrived.
“I still got work to do. I’m still trying to reach that place called there.”
His fans took to the comments to praise him on his dedication to all that he does and his ongoing faith in a higher power.
“Coach prime… Man of character and spreading the word of God,” one fan commented.
Another wrote, “You a living legend Coach Prime to all the girls and boys who grew up in the 80s and 90s and now our kids and grandkids.”
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Colon Cancer: A Silent Killer
Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and surgical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, previously told SurvivorNet, “Colon cancer is considered a silent and deadly killer.
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“What happens is people often don’t know that they have colon cancer. They don’t have any symptoms. That’s why we screen for colon cancer in the United States.”
The Rate of Colon Cancer is Increasing in Those Under 50
“You should be screened for colon cancer, even if you have no family history. Once you have your initial screening colonoscopy, if there are no polyps and you have no high-risk factors, usually once every 10 years is fine,” she advises.
“Colon cancer is a slowly progressing cancer. If you have any family history of colon cancer, you should be screened about 10 years before your family member had colon cancer. So if you have a family member that was 53, you should be screened at 43.”
Colon Cancer Appearing More in Younger People
Although the average age people are diagnosed with colon cancer is 68 for men and 72 for women, according to the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute reports that since the 1990s, colorectal cancer cases have been rising among adults younger than 50.
Research published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians found the proportion of cases in people younger than 55 years old increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019.
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“We know rates are increasing in young people, but it’s alarming to see how rapidly the whole patient population is shifting younger, despite shrinking numbers in the overall population,” cancer epidemiologist and lead study author Rebecca Siegel said.
Researchers are still trying to determine why younger people are being diagnosed in greater numbers. Some experts point to risk factors, which include obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking, as a possible explanation for the increase.
“We don’t know for sure why we are seeing earlier onset and (cancer mortality) from colon cancer,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancers at Weill Cornell Medicine, told SurvivorNet.
“It is likely a combination of factors, including diet and genetics as well as access to care and some environmental factors,” Dr. Yeo added.
Screening for Colon Cancer
Luckily, most colon cancers can be prevented through routine screenings. Colon cancer screenings usually involve a colonoscopy, in which a long thin tube attached to a camera is used to examine the colon and rectum.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test before they turn into cancer. If no polyps are discovered, the next screening won’t be needed for about 10 years.
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A colonoscopy isn’t the only colon cancer screening test. There are other options, including stool tests that detect blood or DNA, and flexible sigmoidoscopy, which checks only the lower third of your colon.
Ask your doctor whether any of these tests would be good additions to a colonoscopy, based on your risks and/or personal preferences.
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“We know that colon cancers can be prevented when polyps are found early,” Dr. Yeo added. “Lowering the screening age helps somewhat with this, but access to care is a real problem.”
The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for a colorectal screening from 50 to 45.
“The fact that we have now reduced the screening age to 45 is a huge step,” Michael Sapienza, CEO of Colorectal Cancer Alliance, told SurvivorNet in an earlier conversation.
“It will allow us to potentially screen 15 million more eligible Americans a year and will certainly save lives. I also think what it’ll do is bring much-needed attention that even if you’re younger than 45 you should be paying more attention. I think that’s also a really important message.”
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What Increases Your Risk for Developing Colon Cancer?
For some people, certain risk factors can influence their risk of getting colon cancer. They include the following:
- Are older. About 90% of cases are in people aged 50 or older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Yet it is possible to get this cancer earlier in life.
- Have inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can, over time, cause cells in your intestines to turn cancerous.
- Have a family history of this cancer. Just under one-third of people who get colon cancer have family members with the disease.
- Have a gene mutation. About 5% of colorectal cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation that causes syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
- Don’t exercise very often. Staying active can lower your risk.
- Eat a diet that’s high in meat. Regularly eating red meats like burgers and steaks, and processed meats such as hot dogs and bacon might put you at higher risk. Eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead might lower your risk.
- You are overweight or obese. Having too much weight increases your risk of both getting colon cancer and dying from it.
- Drink a lot of alcohol. Limiting alcohol to one drink daily for women and two drinks daily for men could help lower your risk.
- Use tobacco. Long-term smokers are more likely to get this cancer than nonsmokers.
Keeping Up With Recommended Screenings
As a part of routine care, people who have had colitis for eight years or more may get a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer every one to three years, depending on their individual level of inflammation.
In the general population, guidelines recommend colon cancer screening once every ten years starting at age 45. Follow up screenings sooner than ten years are based on whether you have any abnormalities.
Dr. Heather Yeo Breaks Down Different Ways to Screen for Colon Cancer
Doctors use colonoscopies to check for abnormal growths (polyps) in the colon that can be cancerous or develop into cancer. People with colitis tend to develop a different kind of polyp than other people do, and these polyps are more likely to contain atypical or pre-cancerous cells.
“So those polyps are one step closer to developing into cancer, whereas a lot of the polyps we find in the general population are benign,” Dr. Limketkai said.
Crohn’s disease, however, is a little bit different. Because this condition can affect any part of the GI tract, Crohn’s disease only raises risk for colon cancer if the inflammation is in the colon, which varies from one person to the next.
Does inflammation cause any other types of cancer? Dr. Stephen Freedland explains.
“If it spares the colon, then we don’t have to do all the surveillance that we do in colitis,” Dr. Limketkai explained. “Of course, you may need to have colonoscopies for other reasons, and while you’re doing that, you’re getting a screening anyway.”
When it comes to inflammatory bowel disease, the major risk factor for colon cancer is untreated disease. Treatment, which may include a combination of medication, dietary changes and routine endoscopies, keeps inflammation under control. Sticking to that treatment can help keep colon cancer risk to a minimum, too.
Black Men at Highest Risk of Colon Cancer
When it comes to colorectal cancer, Black men have the highest incidence — and mortality rates — of any ethnic group in the U.S., according to a study published in the American Journal of Pathology.
While access to care, cancer screening, and other socioeconomic factors are driving this disparity, there’s more to the story of why Black patients — and men, in particular — are still more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age and with more advanced disease.
One disturbing observation showed a difference in follow-up rates after colonoscopy. If you’ve had a colonoscopy, make sure you receive results from your doctor. If pre-cancerous polyps were removed, you’ll need a follow-up screening in 3-5 years, not 7-10.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, explains how polyps are removed during a colonoscopy. A pre-cancerous polyp means you’ll need another colonoscopy in 3-5 years.
But even after exploring factors like dietary fiber intake and potential gene mutations, the study concluded, “we still know relatively little about the molecular mechanisms underpinning why African Americans with colorectal cancer are more likely to (face mortality) from the disease than other ethnic groups.”
It’s a sad fact of life in America that Black people are much more likely to face mortality from cancer. In recent years, SurvivorNet has been focused on raising awareness about these huge disparities in cancer when it comes to race. The initiative is called “Close The Gap.”
SurvivorNet has held a Close the Gap conference to educate, spread awareness, and ultimately, work to eliminate, racial disparities in cancer care. The goal is to ensure everyone has access to education about cancer, screening recommendations, treatment options, clinical trials, and more.
Watch the full Close the Gap 2022 conference here.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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