Colon cancer is common and can be fatal

• Colon cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer and cancer deaths in the United States
• Men and women are affected equally
• 50,000 Americans die every year of colon cancer

Colon cancer is being diagnosed at younger ages, and therefore, the recommended age for  first screening colonoscopy has been lowered to AGE 45

• Over the last 2 decades, colon cancer has been found more frequently in the young
• 1 in 10 colon cancer patients are diagnosed before age 50
• “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer at age 43, raising awareness of colon cancer at younger ages

Colon Cancer is preventable and potentially curable!

• Colon cancer can be prevented by having colon polyps removed during a colonoscopy before they grow large enough to turn into a cancerous tumor.
• Even when colon cancer is discovered during a colonoscopy, 5-year survival is over 90% if detected at an early stage.
• Colon cancer is often asymptomatic early on. Unfortunately, if it is not diagnosed until it has spread (metastasis), survival may be less than 15%.
• Screening can be performed with stool testing such as FOBT (fecal occult blood test) or a DNA-based stool test such as Cologuard. Screening Colonoscopy is recommended as the gold standard by most Gastroenterologists.
• If you have a first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with colon cancer, this raises your risk of colon cancer, and you should start screening before the age of 45.

Screening Colonoscopy – JUST DO IT!

• It works – the overall rate of colon cancer has declined 31% in the last 30 years since access to colonoscopy screening has increased.
• It is safe – over 15 million colonoscopies are performed in the United States each year. Overall complication rates for routine colonoscopy are 1.6% and include bleeding, anesthesia complications, and bowel perforation (the most serious but <0.3%). These adverse outcomes are more common in patients older than 70 who have multiple chronic medical conditions. Often these procedures are selected to be performed in the hospital setting to improve support by a larger care team.
• It is easy – people have many reasons to avoid a colonoscopy, but when they get it done, they realize the day of clear liquid diet and bowel prep clean out are not that bad. Typically, Propofol is used for anesthesia; this makes the procedure relatively painless. The most common complaint after the procedure is cramping and bloating, but this does not occur in the majority of cases.
• Don’t put it off any longer – the rate of screening colonoscopy has decreased since the start of the pandemic, and there is concern this will result in an increase of colon cancer in the near future.

For more information on colonoscopies, click on the infographic below:

Contact DHS to schedule your colonoscopy…

By: Dr. Murat Akdamar

He works at our Tanglewood and Winston-Salem locations.

Learn more about him here: https://digestivehealth.ws/provider/murat-akdamar-md/

Digestive Health Specialists, PA is here to help if you, or someone you know, would like more information, or if you are experiencing any digestive health symptoms and would like further evaluation. Feel free to give us a call at 336-768-6211 or fill out the form below.