Colon Cancer Stories

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Colon cancer touches many lives each year. It can be powerful to learn how other people have experienced screenings, a diagnosis, and fighting the disease. To wrap up our blog posts on colon cancer for this awareness month, we’re going to showcase a few stories from several sources today.

Colon Cancer Foundation: Jamie’s Story

The Colon Cancer Foundation (CCF) has compiled a number of patient stories about colon cancer. One story features Jamie Crespo, who had both parents diagnosed with colon cancer in the same year (2017). Jamie details how the diagnoses came as a surprise due to a lack of immediate family history of the disease, and how it changed everyone’s lives. She also talks about her parents’ recovery, what she’s learned, and how she has made lifestyle changes following the experience. Read Jamie’s story and others on the CCF’s website.

Colon Cancer Coalition: Melissa’s Story

The Colon Cancer Coalition (CCC) also has a huge number of patient stories you can peruse. One is from Melissa Marshall, who was got colorectal cancer at the age of 51. She had been ignoring symptoms for a while before her diagnosis, including rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fatigue. Melissa eventually met with a colorectal surgeon who performed a colonoscopy and found a tumor in her sphincter. She was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer, and went on to receive chemotherapy and an ostomy bag. Today, Melissa is cancer-free and is a strong advocate. She has also formed a non-profit dedicated to educate people about colorectal cancer. You can read Melissa’s story along with many others here.

Colon Cancer Prevention Project: Lindsay’s Story

The Colon Cancer Prevention Project has featured a striking story from Lindsay Norris, an Oncology nurse who survived Stage III colorectal cancer. She talks about how she never truly understood how her patients felt until she experienced colorectal cancer. In a lengthly blog post, Lindsay goes through all of the elements of her diagnosis and experience receiving treatment, comparing how she viewed these things as a nurse versus how she experienced them personally. It’s a highly insightful read- you can read the post here or visit her website.

Celebrity Colon Cancer Stories: Chadwick Boseman and Will Smith

Colon cancer has affected several well-known celebrities. Just in the past year, Chadwick Boseman passed away with colorectal cancer. The actor, known for films like Black Panther and Thurgood, was only 43. He had been fighting colon cancer for four years. We wrote a blog back in November of 2020 about Chadwick’s life and battle with colon cancer. You can read that post here.

Another story we recently featured is about actor Will Smith. Back in 2019, Will documented the process of his colonoscopy screening. In a vlog posted to his YouTube channel, he shows conversations with his doctor, the prep process, the day of the screening, and the follow-up. It’s a great video that showcases what the experience of getting a colonoscopy is like, and it also drives home the importance of screenings. Read our blog post on the video here.

Our experienced team at GHP has years of experience screening for colorectal cancer. We can help establish the best plan of care for your situation. Read more about how we perform screenings here. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and schedule an appointment today.

ValueOfColonoscopy.org: ASGE’s Useful Awareness and Screening Tool

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There are a lot of great resources if you are interested in learning more about colon cancer and screenings. One of our favorites comes from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscoy (ASGE). The ASGE has a plethora of resources including videos, a screening tool, and statistics at ValueOfColonoscopy.org. Today on the blog, we’ll take you through some of the useful resources on the website.

Screening Tool: Determining Which Test You Should Get

One question many people have about screenings is which test to get. There are numerous options available. It can be confusing when figuring out which is the best fit. Fortunately, the ASGE created a tool that helps you identify the screening method that’s right for you. In a simple yet informative document, they take you through your options based on your risk level (no personal or family history of colon polyps or cancer, family history, or personal history). This tool shows you how these factors impact when you should be screened, how often, and with which screening method. For example, if you have a family history of colon cancer or polyps, it shows that you should have a screening as early as age 40. It also shows that a colonoscopy is best screening given your family history. It recommends talking with your doctor to establish a plan.

Colonoscopies during the Pandemic

During the pandemic, many people have had valid concerns about the safety of activities like doctor’s visits. This has actually impacted how many colonoscopies doctors have performed, and as a result an increase in the number of missed colorectal cancer diagnoses (read our blog post here to learn more). In a video, the ASGE shows how many steps medical professionals are taking to ensure your safety during screenings. They talk about pre-arrival screenings, in-office distancing and barriers, masking, PPE, testing, staff vaccinations, and more. We highly recommend watching this video to get a clear picture of how safe your screening will be. Plus, read our blog post here about what we have been doing at GHP to keep you safe.

Tips as you Prepare for a Colonoscopy

Another important thing this website covers is common patient FAQs leading up to a colonoscopy. The ASGE has a number of helpful guides and tips for you as you prepare for a screening. For example, they have a webpage dedicated to understanding bowel prep, an aspect of screening that many patients dread. They discuss the importance of bowel prep, what type of prep you may need to pursue, and other helpful tips. They even discuss common side effects, specific steps in prepping, and what to do if you forget to take prep medication. This is a great resource to help you make sure your screening is as effective as possible. The ASGE also has content and FAQs that help you understand colon polyps and colonoscopies.

Our experienced team at GHP has years of experience screening for colorectal cancer. We can help establish the best plan of care for your situation. Read more about how we perform screenings here. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and schedule an appointment today.

Colon Cancer Awareness: Our Favorite Online Resources

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March is colon cancer awareness month. This disease is preventable with timely and regular screenings. Awareness-raising resources and campaigns are a key part in increasing screening rates, so today on the blog we’ll share some of our favorite online resources on the topic.

CDC Resource Library

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an excellent website full of resources. Among these resources is all of their colon cancer content. They have everything from personal stories to an awareness quiz and posts to share on social media. Here’s a list of some of our favorite resources they offer:

  • Data visualizations tool
    • You can examine colon cancer statistics with tools including an interactive map, tables, and charts.
  • Basic information
    • The CDC provides a central hub for all of the basics about colorectal cancer, including symptoms of the disease, screening information, and questions you can ask your doctor.
  • Screening stories
    • Read stories from people who have gotten screenings and learn about their experiences.

ASGE Colon Cancer Awareness Resources

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has a number of great resources you can use as a patient and as an advocate. Here are a few highlights from their website:

  • Tool to start dialogue about screening for patients and doctors
    • This document breaks down the different types of screening available, divided by different risk categories.
  • Videos
    • ASGE has a number of videos that cover topics like colonoscopies, myths about colon cancer, and community outreach.
  • Banner and poster
    • The organization provides a banner you can use on your website or email signature, plus a poster you can print and hang up.

ASCRS’ Resources

The American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons has several resources on their website that you might find helpful. Here are a few favorites:

  • Media pitch letter
    • ASCRS has a letter that you can modify and send to local news organizations, asking for air time to talk about colon cancer.
  • Online store
    • The organization has an online store where you can purchase brochures in bulk for use in treatment settings.

Colon Cancer Coalition’s Targeted Campaign

The Colon Cancer Coalition has a targeted awareness campaign called #BlueForCRC that you can participate in. Their website has resources for this campaign including:

  • Sample social media posts
  • A training webinar for advocates
  • Informational resources that can be distributed
  • Tips and tricks for successful advocacy using their campaign

ACG’s Website

The American College of Gastroenterology’s website features resources that you can use for awareness-raising. Some of our favorites are:

  • A library of graphics that you can print for patients, hang as posters, and share on social media.
  • A podcast series that addresses colon cancer topics in a Q&A format. Episodes cover topics including risk factors, screenings, bowel prep, and early detection.

Our team at GHP has years of experience screening for colorectal cancer. We can help establish the best plan of care for you. Read more about how we perform screenings here. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and book an appointment today.

How has the Pandemic Affected Colonoscopies?

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The coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives in countless ways. From finances to health and other aspects of life, it has changed how we live each day. In particular, many common medical check-ups, screenings, and elective procedures have been put on hold or delayed. One of these, the colonoscopy, has seen significantly decreased rates during the pandemic. This is a serious issue, as we know colonoscopies are a key screening strategy to prevent colorectal cancer. On today’s blog, we’ll take a look at how the pandemic has affected colonoscopies.

Colonoscopies During the Pandemic

Early on in the pandemic in 2020, medical practices put many elective and non-essential medical visits and procedures on hold. As a result, screenings for cancer like colonoscopies dropped significantly. One study examining screening rates in the San Francisco area found that colonoscopies decreased about 90% from February to May 2020. This coincided with an 85% decrease in fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), another screening method in the same time frame. There was also a 70% decrease in all in-person appointments, and a 60% increase in telehealth visits. Another report estimated that if that trend continued through early June 2020, there could be around 19,000 missed colorectal cancer diagnoses and over 4,000 additional colorectal cancer deaths across the United States.

These are significant impacts, and compound existing inequities in health outcomes. Many groups that have an increased risk of colorectal cancer have also experienced a higher risk of death from the coronavirus. These groups include Black, Native American, and Hispanic people.

Clearly, the pandemic has caused cascading public health problems. Fortunately, as we have learned more about the coronavirus, medical practices have been able to respond to transmission threats to practice safely. Masking, social distancing, sanitizing, and now vaccinations for medical staff have helped to create safe spaces for patients to receive medical care.

Importance of Screening for Colorectal Cancer

Screening for colorectal cancer is extremely important. When properly done, it has a high success rate at cancer prevention. With a colonoscopy, doctors can identify and remove precancerous polyps that could otherwise develop into cancer over time. The colonoscopy is the gold standard for screenings. When patients get colonoscopies on a proper schedule, the incidence of colorectal cancer falls by around 90%.

Gastro Health Partners, in line with various other organizations, is now endorsing regular screenings starting at age 45. Previously, 50 was the standard for beginning screenings. By changing this to 45, we can prevent more potential cases of cancer and save lives. If you are close to 45 or older, talk with your doctor about getting screened. They will take your situation into account and may recommend earlier or more frequent screenings depending on factors like family history and personal history of polyps.

Our experienced team at GHP has years of experience screening for colorectal cancer. We can help establish the best plan of care for your situation. Read more about how we perform screenings here. Contact any of our office locations to learn about the options we offer and schedule an appointment today.