Guest Column: March and the Color Blue

 — by Lois Cornell —

Probably most of you did not know that March is Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness month or that blue is the color of that awareness campaign. This is actually the first year that the White House has declared a National CRC month; it is also observed by 47 states.  CRC is the second largest cause of cancer deaths in the US (lung cancer is number one). But it is still the cancer that folks would rather not talk about.

There is some good news this year. CRC deaths for folks over 50 years of age have recently declined 30% and most of the credit for that decline is attributed to adding a colonoscopy to the recommended testing for anyone turning 50. A colonoscopy has both diagnostic and curative benefits; polyps can be discovered and removed years before they become cancerous.  Many of the people who are diagnosed with precancerous polyps or CRC during a screening colonoscopy have no physical symptoms.  For most people the worst part of a colonoscopy is the preparation, and that uncomfortable procedure is a small price to pay to prevent cancer years down the road.

CRC is being diagnosed in larger numbers at much younger ages. CRC is often assumed to be a disease of the elderly, so when younger people present with symptoms (blood in stool, diarrhea, changes in bowel habits are the more common ones)  it is not uncommon to look for other causes. In many cases, valuable diagnostic procedures are delayed because it “can’t be cancer at your age.” The likelihood that you can get CRC goes up dramatically if you have relatives with the disease. There are genetic mutations that can predispose someone to an 80% chance of developing CRC in their lifetime. So if you have symptoms for CRC, please see a physician and get answers. Research your family history and provide that to the physician. Often a colonoscopy is the only reliable way to diagnose CRC or a variety of other conditions that mimic those symptoms and may or may not need treatment.

If you are still not convinced that CRC is a growing problem for people younger than 50,  please visit a website called the Colon Club (https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/). This forum was designed for folks with CRC diagnosed before the age of 50, but they allow anyone to participate. Read the stories of people in their teens, 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s who have all stages of CRC and how they deal with the dramatic and frightening changes it brings to their lives. Many have small children and change their strategy of long range planning for their kids from college and weddings and grandkids to shorter milestones like being around for a middle school graduation or a bat mitzvah. Many others are caregivers or family members or BFF’s looking  for advice and comfort. You do not have to register to “lurk” around the site. Most members have a signature that tells you their history and the treatments they have undergone.

Many of these young people have lived very healthy lifestyles; a number of them are vegetarian or vegan and they exercise regularly.   So while diet and lifestyle can cause a higher predisposition to CRC, a healthy lifestyle will not prevent someone from getting the disease.

By the way, my signature for the Colon Club reads:

60 y.o. female
Colon resection Sept. 2010
pT3N0M0 Stage IIA
Medullary Tumor 6.5cm long
Lymphovascular invasion
Lynch negative
12 FOLFOX 11/2010 to 5/2011 8 w/Oxi
NED so far

NED means “No Evidence of Disease”.  I am one of the lucky ones.   And my sons who are 26 and 30 will be lucky to be getting their first screening colonoscopies at age 40 instead of 50.