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March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Erick A. Salvatierra, MD tells why it’s so important to GET SCREENED!

1. How common is Colon Cancer?
   • Colon Cancer is the number 2 cancer killer in the United States, yet it is one of the most preventable types of cancer. The likelihood of developing colon cancer in a person’s lifetime is 1 in 20.  A recent nationally published study found that people of Cajun decent in Acadiana had a higher rate of Colon Cancer than the rest of the United States.
2. What are the risk factors for Colon Cancer?
   •  Colon cancer is most common after age 50, but can strike at younger ages.  The risk of developing colon cancer increases with age.
3. Who is considered High Risk for Colon Cancer?
   • People with a personal family history of colon cancer or colon polyps are at a higher risk.  There are inherited forms of colon polyps or cancer.  Individuals with a chronic digestive condition such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease have an increased chance.
4. What are symptoms of Colon Cancer?
   • Most early colon cancers produce no symptoms.  This is why screening for colon cancer is so important.  Some possible symptoms may include new-onset of abdominal pain, blood in or on the stool, or change in stool caliber or shape.  Change in typical bowel habits, constipation, and diarrhea are also possible symptoms.
5. Why is Colon Cancer screening so important?
   • Colon cancer arises from precancerous growths, or polyps, that grow in the colon.  When detected early, polyps can be removed, halting their progression to colon cancer.  While early detection of any cancers important, prevention is powerful.  The development of more than 75–90% of colon cancers can be avoided due to early detection and removal of precancerous polyps.
6. What screening test do experts recommend?
   • The American College of Gastroenterology divides options into cancer prevention tests and cancer detection tests—Prevention is preferred over detection.
     • The preferred colon cancer prevention test is Colonoscopy every 10 years. Normal risk individuals should begin screening at age 50 and age 45 for African Americans.
     • The preferred cancer detection test is an annual Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) that detects hidden blood in stool. (Note that if a cancer detection test is positive then this is followed by Colonoscopy evaluation.)
     • Alternative cancer detection tests are CT Colonography or “virtual colonoscopy” every 10 years, and fecal DNA testing every 3 years.