Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month – Get Screened
Not Everyone Has This Opportunity

Rebecca Ann S. Bliss

March 9, 2018

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Before I got diagnosed with cancer, when I heard the word C-A-N-C-E-R, I kind of thought they were all the same. I mean, I had heard of breast cancer (besides the fact that my mom had a battle with it, one would have to be living under a rock not to have ever heard of BREAST CANCER); I had heard of throat cancer, Michael Douglas had a bout with it, plus all the commercials that tell you not to smoke point to throat cancer; and of course I heard of Leukemia and some of the other cancers, but I never appreciated the many, many, DIFFERENT types of cancers that exist. And, even if you have for example, breast cancer, did you know that there are different types? Yes that is right, there are carcinomas. sarcomas, phyllodes, Paget disease, and angiosarcomas. Then, there are different types of receptors that determine what fuels the growth of the cancer, how to treat it, and your prognosis. I won’t bore you with anymore medical language or details, the point is, we live in a world where I can literally go to the American Cancer Society’s website and count 75 different categories of cancer. That is a lot of cancer.

Some organizations have done an amazing job of fundraising and creating awareness about cancer—such as Susan G. Komen- 

I bet you know this logo to the right and what type of cancer it represents. Right? Again it sheds light on breast cancer. While, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer--with an estimated 266,120 cases this year, it is the 4^th cause of cancer deaths. Lung cancer is actually the number one leading causes of cancer deaths—with an estimated 154, 050 number of deaths to take place this year. Number two on the list is… drum roll please… colorectal cancer—with an estimated 50,630 number of deaths to take place this year (American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts and Figures 2018). Pat yourself on the back if you knew that, because I didn’t. (P.S. only about 1,200 people in the USA are diagnosed with my cancer a year, but I will talk about that in April when it is Head and Cancer Awareness Month).

This month is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, which is why I started researching colorectal cancer. In doing research, I learned that while colorectal cancer is the number two leading cause of cancer deaths, it is also one of only a few cancers that can be prevented through screening! It CAN BE PREVENTED through screenings! Did you know that no one really knows how to prevent my cancer or how I got it? As of now, no one can really tell me if there was anything I could have done differently. I didn’t and don’t smoke, I wasn’t and am not a heavy drinker, and I was in the best shape of my life. I had symptoms for three or more years. Year one and two: Pain in my jaw and limited movement—diagnosed as TMJ… nope it was a tumor growing in my jaw. Year three: Sinus problems—diagnosed as a polyp by two ENTs… nope it was a tumor taking over my maxillary sinus. And, finally, right before my diagnosis: a lump on the roof of my mouth—seen by a dentist and a doctor—who thought nothing of it. I promise I am making a point that is not about me. The point is for at least three years my tumor continued to grow because it is so rare doctors didn’t know to look for anything. But, doctors do now how to look for colorectal cancer! So, why wouldn’t you get screened?!

In doing my research, I found that many people would have avoided getting colorectal cancer just by this screening. And, after getting screened once if there are no signs of a problem, you do not have to get screened again for a decade! It is like sending in your paperwork for a jury summons. It is annoying, and when you are busy you do not want to take the time to just fill out the paper, put a stamp on it and walk a few feet to the mailbox. Or maybe you do not want to take the time to boot up the computer and go online to fill out the questionnaire. However, for most people, they never get called in and then they do not get summoned again for something like 10 years. So, just take the time now. Get SCREENED, it could SAVE your life.

Quickly, here is what you need to know (I AM NOT A DOCTOR, so you should definitely refer to your doctor for further information):

WHEN SHOULD I GET SCREENED?

IF YOU …	THEN YOU SHOULD…
Are experiencing symptoms	Talk to your doctor immediately
Have a family history of colon cancer or polyps	Get screened at age 40 or 10 years before the age of the youngest case in your immediate family (mother, father, sister, brother)
Are African American	Get screened at age 45
Have a genetic link to colon cancer such as Lynch Syndrome, FAP, etc.	Talk to your doctor and get screened before age 50
Have a personal history of cancer	Talk to your doctor about getting screened before age 50
Have ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn’s disease	Talk to your doctor about getting screened before age 50
Are 50 years old and don’t fit into any of the above categories	Get screened!

Colorectal Cancer Alliance

  

Information about screenings: Click Here

If you are a patient of Community Health Center of The North Country, talk to your doctor about colorectal screenings at your next visit. Whether you are currently a patient or not, you can call one of our health centers to ask about getting screened. Free screenings may be available for eligible patients. Click Here to learn more. 

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