PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – March is called Colorectal Most cancers Consciousness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women.
“The rationale for the screening is it not solely catches the precancerous polyps earlier and prevents most cancers. If it catches most cancers very early, it’s also curable,” stated Dr. Bairava Kuppuswamy, major care doctor at WVU Drugs Camden Clark Medical Heart.
Primarily based on analysis completed by the United States Preventative Services Task Force and the American Most cancers Society, well being officers have advisable the age of colon most cancers screenings be lowered from the age of fifty to the age of 45.
“, there have been new research they’ve completed, and what they came upon was there was an elevated danger of colon most cancers in a youthful age group,” Dr. Kuppuswamy stated. “Ninety % of colon cancers are seen in 50 plus however the different 10 %, they began seeing growing numbers in a youthful age group.”
The advice is necessary as a result of that’s what insurance coverage corporations observe in order that they find yourself overlaying the colon most cancers screening process.
In addition to insurance coverage and the way a lot a screening would price, a number of the different predominant causes folks select to not get screened are a lack of information, the hesitancy of the unknown, and the worry of prepping for a colonoscopy.
Dr. Mohamed Barakat, a gastroenterologist with WVU Drugs Camden Clark Medical Heart, stated a colonoscopy provides him an opportunity to take away polyps earlier than they grow to be cancers. He stated polyps are described as irregular growths all through the colon that may both be pre-cancerous or non-cancerous.
“It {colonoscopy} additionally permits us to remedy cancers whereas they’re early and nonetheless haven’t unfold all through the physique,” Dr. Barakat stated. “It is usually a diagnostic software, not only a screening software that permits us to deal with these early cancers with out having to have surgical procedure or any invasive process that will lead to a surgical resection, which finally could also be related to greater morbidity and mortality by itself.”
Dr. Barakat stated the prep work for a colonoscopy normally entails a transparent liquid eating regimen the day earlier than, comparable to water or jello. Sometimes it’s something you possibly can see via.
“The aim is to scrub out the colon, Dr. Barakat stated. “It’s a cleanse in order that the doctor can see all of the partitions clearly and detect the smallest of polyps and never simply the big ones.”
Francis Trickett waited till he was 55 to have his first colonoscopy in January 2018. After discovering the polyps in his colon, docs eliminated them and despatched them off to a lab. Trickett’s outcomes got here again constructive for stage one colon most cancers. In February 2018, Trickett got here again to have surgical procedure on his colon to take away the contaminated space. Trickett stated they caught it at its most treatable stage.
“While you’re to the age that the physician tells you that you’ll want to do it, you’ll want to go,” Trickett stated. “I’m glad I went after I did trigger I imply it may price you your life in case you don’t get one completed, and I like to recommend it for anyone.”
Dr. Barakat stated there’s a large false impression about getting a colonoscopy.
“To start with, colonoscopy is a process. It isn’t a surgical procedure; there is no such thing as a incision, there’s no slicing or something like that,” Dr. Barakat stated. “It’s completed beneath what we name monitored anesthesia, which is simply an anesthetic, you possibly can breathe by yourself, you’re not utterly sleeping, there’s no ache in any respect, and also you fall asleep in a minute, and also you get up in a minute, and also you’re in your manner residence. no ache concerned and nearly not facet related to it.”
To take care of good colon well being, Dr. Kuppuswamy stated there are some life-style modifications you may make. First, eat extra fruit and veggies and have a high-fiber eating regimen. He advisable limiting your consumption of purple meat, processed meats, and different meals.
Different life-style modifications you may make embody reducing weight, being extra bodily lively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol use.
Dr. Kuppuswamy says there are different different exams you possibly can take, comparable to an at-home stool check. He recommends {that a} colonoscopy is the very best screening methodology if any affected person has any high-risk elements comparable to a household historical past of colon most cancers or a earlier historical past of getting most cancers.
Dr. Kuppuswamy additionally stated to speak to your major care doctor in case you are involved in regards to the value of the screening exams or whether or not or not your insurance coverage goes to cowl it. He stated any screening check is best than not having one in any respect.
Since being cured of most cancers, Trickett goes for a routine colonoscopy yearly and checks in with an oncologist each six months.
“Only a 15-minute process can save your life….it’s a no brainer, it may be a matter of life or demise it must be completed,” Trickett stated.
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