Healthy Living looks at the importance of colon screening
Though it may not draw as much attention as the other forms of cancer, colon cancer is a very common type of cancer. In fact, rough estimates from leading specialists in Belize, indicate that they diagnose an average of 2 to 3 cases a month. Typically viewed as a condition relating solely to elderly persons, many forego early screening and seek medical attention when it is too late. This week, Healthy Living takes a look at colon cancer and the how getting a colonoscopy can save your life.
Marleni Cuellar, Reporting
The colon is a long muscular tube that connects your small intestine to your rectum. Its function is to mainly absorb water and minerals and to transport waste material. Cancer of this particular area of the body is called colon or colorectal cancer, a very common type of cancer.
Dr. Mark Musa, Gastroenterologist/Internist
“It’s the second leading cause of cancer related death in the western world. The theory is that colon cancer tends to start as little polyps or little growths on the colon and over a period of many years then it develops into cancer.”
Dr. Mark Musa is a gastroenterologist practicing in Belize. He explains the main causes of this cancer and the relation between early detection and survival.
Dr. Mark Musa
“The causes of it is a combination of environmental factors, mainly dietary what we eat and genetics and it’s a combination of those two broad areas. Belize is probably moving more towards the western diet where it’s more high in fat and we’re eating less vegetables and fruit and less fish and so our diet is definitely going to be a main factor. There are four stages of colon cancer; stage is one is when it is just on the lining of the colon it has not gone through the entire wall of the colon. And if that person has surgery at an appropriate time, then they have a five year survival of over ninety percent, close to ninety-five percent and they don’t need any extra treatment like chemotherapy. If it is diagnosed very late such as stage four when it has spread to the liver even with surgery and chemotherapy the survival isn’t very good. The five year survival is between ten & fifteen percent. “
There are symptoms associated with colon cancer and it is crucial to catch them early.
Dr. Mark Musa
“It’s a change in bowel movement, bleeding, abdominal pain where the belly start to hurt you. You get a lot of bloating; those are symptoms. The symptoms of weight loss and loss of appetite tend to occur quite late. Unfortunately, when it is developing the patients have no symptoms. This is where the importance of screening comes in “
The most commonly recommended method of screening is the colonoscopy. The costs of the screening method may be a bit on the expensive side, ranging from a couple hundred dollars to near a thousand at private institutions. But it is an investment that is well worth the price. As for the procedure, it also pays to put aside the bashfulness.
Dr. Mark Musa
“A colonoscopy is a tube that has a camera at the end of it and that is connected to a screen. The doctor passes the camera up the anus and the colon is about five feet long and he examines that and it takes about a half hour. Personally, I would recommend a colonoscopy. It is the standard and you’re actually visualizing the colon and if you see a small polyp it can be removed then and there; a small growth on the colon reduce that person’s risk of developing cancer. One of the benefits of screening for colon cancer is that compared to other cancers. It’s a relatively slower growing cancer so from the little wart or the little polyp that starts out it is claimed it takes five to seven years before it becomes cancer. That’s stage one and the doubling time for that to double in size usually takes another year or two so we’re talking about months to years rather than weeks. “
Colonoscopies are recommended at the age of fifty and every ten years after. However, persons with a family history of cancer, especially colon cancer, are urged to get screened at an earlier age. Of course, if you have been experiencing symptoms, then the sooner you see your doctor the better your treatment options.
Dr. Mark Musa
“Don’t be afraid to go to your doctor, even if you just want to discuss your symptoms for reassurance and see what the doctor says and if he can start with simpler tests then that might be of benefit to that individual. Any screening is better than no screening. It is better you do it young because if something is detected, then you’re fit and you’re chances are much better. You’re fit enough to have the surgery and even possibly the chemotherapy. If you want, as an individual, to say well I’m gonna look after myself and I’m going to get a yearly P.S.A. or my yearly mammogram or my yearly pap smear, then you also need to think colon cancer is a regularly common cancer and if I do have that family history or if I want to detect early then doing the colonoscopy is important.”
So know your family history and know what symptoms to look out for. The key to beating this form of cancer is finding it early.
