A Preventable Cancer
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, but D. Kim Turgeon, M.D., F.A.C.P., clinical associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, has a year-long mission to educate people about the importance of colonoscopies. "I really feel strongly that colon cancer should be a disease that we never see again," says Turgeon.
In one year, an estimated 145,000 new cases are diagnosed and more than 56,000 people will die from colon cancer. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and the leading cause of cancer death among non-smokers.
Unlike other kinds of cancer, the vast majority of colorectal cancer deaths can be prevented by screening and early detection. The statistics speak for themselves. "When stage-one cancers are found and removed, there is a survival rate of more than 95 percent. At the final stage (stage 4), the survival rate is about 5 percent," says Turgeon. Recognizable symptoms-rectal bleeding, anemia, a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain and weight loss-often don't show up until the final stage.
A colonoscopy, an examination of the lining of the colon with a lighted, flexible tube, allows the chance for biopsies and polyp removals. Most polyps in the colon are benign, but 95 percent of colorectal cancers begin as a particular type of polyp called an adenoma.
For people without increased risk, screening should begin at age 50 and continue at regular intervals. People with more risk factors should discuss with their physicians whether they should begin screening before age 50.
Making You More Comfortable
The U-M East Ann Arbor Surgery and Medical Procedures Center located next to U-M East Ann Arbor Health Center will offer a comfortable setting to help patients feel more at ease with this procedure.
A recent study from the University of Michigan Health System's Division of Gastroenterology showed that 43 percent of women ages 40-70 prefer a female endoscopist to perform their colonoscopy. More than one-third of U-M Health System gastroenterologists are female. That number is well above the 8 percent national average of gastroenterologists who are female.
If you're a woman who has been putting off having a colonoscopy due to concerns about the procedure, the reality is that the preparation the day before is probably more inconvenient than the test itself.
As Turgeon says, "Patients often ask, 'When are you starting?' right after the procedure is over."
Turgeon wants women to schedule their colonoscopies. She says, "I'd like to put myself out of business. We have the ability to make this cancer a rare occurrence."
For more information visit the University of Michigan Health System's division of Gastroenterology's web site. To schedule an appointment call: 734-647-5944.
This article first appeared in March, 2006. The issue is online: read the Spring, 2006 edition of the Women's Health Program Newsletter.
Reading List
American Cancer Society's Complete Guide to Colorectal Cancer Foreword by Katie Couric Editors: Levin, Ades, Brooks, Crane, Hoff, Limburg, Rothenberger
No More Digestive Problems: The Answers Every Woman Needs-Real Solutions to Stop the Pain and Achieve Lasting Digestive Health by Cynthia Yoshida
