+ EXPERT ADVICE | Health
Colon Cancer: Knowledge
is Power
If you’re 45 or over, it’s time to get
screened for colorectal cancer.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness
Month. According to the American Cancer Society,
the colon cancer death rate in this country
could be cut by more than half if Americans simply followed
recommended screening guidelines.
Early detection and treatment are critical. If caught early,
colorectal cancer is 90% curable. If precancerous polyps are
found during screening, the disease is often altogether preventable.
Because colorectal cancer can develop with no signs or
symptoms, a colonoscopy could serve as a life-saving test.
New guidelines: Get screened between ages
45 and 50.
Men and women are affected equally by colorectal cancer.
For patients of average risk with no family history, it’s now recommended
that colon cancer screenings begin between the age
of 45 and 50 depending on your risk factors and ethnicity*, with
follow-up screenings every five to 10 years, even for people who
feel perfectly healthy. If you have a family history of cancer, are
experiencing pain or bleeding, or a previous screening revealed
polyps, your doctor may recommend that you be screened earlier
or more frequently.
A colonoscopy isn’t as hard as you think.
There’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed during a
colonoscopy. It’s your doctor’s job to perform these lifesaving
screenings, and every effort is made to help patients feel comfortable
during this procedure.
22 Central Florida Lifestyle | March 2020
• You’ll be asked to follow a clear liquid diet the day before your
procedure. This means only water, clear broth, soda, tea, coffee
(without milk/creamer), clear juice (without pulp), Jell-O,
popsicles and other flavored drinks (not purple or red).
• You’ll be given instructions on using a laxative mixture to empty
your bowel so that your colon can be viewed clearly during
the procedure.
• During the colonoscopy, your doctor will look at the inner
lining of your large intestine (which includes your rectum and
colon). A thin, flexible tube called a colonoscope is inserted
while you’re sedated or under anesthesia.
• Most patients have very little awareness that the procedure is
taking place. You’re done within an hour.
A colonoscopy is the most effective way to prevent,
detect and diagnose colon cancer. Along with functioning
as a screening test to check for cancer or precancerous polyps
in the colon or rectum, a colonoscopy can also help
find ulcers, tumors and areas of inflammation or bleeding.
It’s important to be screened for colon cancer even
if you’re not currently experiencing pain or bleeding.
By Vishwas Vanar, MD, AdventHealth Medical Group
Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors
Even if you have no family history of colorectal
cancer or polyps, you’re at increased risk if:
• You’re overweight
• You’re physically inactive
• You smoke and/or excessively consume alcohol
• You eat a lot of red meat
• You have diagnosed or undiagnosed Type 2
diabetes
• You have inflammatory bowel disease such as
Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
Vishwas Vanar, MD, is a board-certified and fellowshiptrained
gastroenterologist and hepatologist with
AdventHealth Medical Group in Apopka. His areas of expertise
include advanced GI screening and treatment procedures,
including video capsule endoscopy, esophageal manometry,
impedance pH monitoring, single balloon enteroscopy,
radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s esophagus, and chronic liver
disease. For more information or to schedule an appointment,
visit GetScreenedToday.com or call 407-609-7395.
Although some guidelines have lowered the screening age to 45 (and sometimes
age 40), some insurances may not cover the screening until age 50.
/GetScreenedToday.com