Nancy Rudner Lugo: Save the pooper!

Colon Cancer has no bumper stickers to “Save the Pooper,” but its importance cannot be underestimated. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer affecting both men and women.

It starts quietly, with no symptoms at first. Finding and treating cancer early, before it has a chance to spread, is key. Screening helps because it looks for cancer and pre-cancer in people who have no symptoms of the disease. Several types of tests can screen for colon cancer. Some can find polyps before they become cancer. Others cannot find polyps but can identify colorectal cancer in the early, more treatable stages if the testing is done often enough.

The most thorough test is the colonoscopy. For most people without a family history, this test is done every 10 years starting at age 50. Those with a family history of colon cancer start earlier. The colonoscopy requires extensive “preparation” the day before, cleaning out your digestive system so that the gastroenterologist gets a clean view of the colon. For the colonoscopy, you are given a light sedative and usually miss a day of work. Thanks to the health care reform law, the screening has no copay for those with health coverage.

Other tests may be easier, but they a higher risk of missing a cancer or pre-cancer. Flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy), and double contrast barium enema, done without putting you to sleep, are fairly quick and safe. The CT colonography and barium enema require the cleansing preparation. The sigmoidoscopy has the added advantage of not requiring the total internal cleaning that you need to do for a colonoscopy, but looks only at the lower third of the colon. Cross-sectional images generated during the CT scan (virtual colonoscopy) are reformatted in multiple planes to create three-dimensional images of your colon. None is as thorough as a colonoscopy and each of these alternatives requires a repeat every five years. If lesions are found, you end up needing a colonoscopy anyway.

The fecal occult blood test and fecal immunochemical test (FIT), done at home or in the clinician’s office with a stool sample, look for hidden (occult) internal bleeding, a warning sign of colon cancer. This easy test should be done each year, especially since it is looking for a later sign of a problem than the colonoscopy looks for. Typically, you get these tests from your primary care provider — yet another reason for your annual checkup.

Who should be screened? Everyone over the age of 50. It can be a rite of passage into the second half of your century (and it will help to get you to that healthy 100).

Prevention matters. Colon cancer is linked to our diet high in red meat. These food choices reduce your colon cancer risks:

• Eat fruits and vegetables of many colors

• Keep a healthy weight

• Limit processed and red meat: bacon, sausage, lunchmeat and hot dogs

• Enjoy fish, chicken, turkey and beans

• Bake and broil instead of frying or charbroiling

• Limit alcohol and sugary drinks (like sodas)

• Don’t even think of smoking

Dr. Nancy Rudner Lugo, local workplace nurse coach with HealthAction.biz, helps individuals and employees understand their health, make healthy choices and achieve their health goals. Send your questions to [email protected]