Panhandle Health District

                                                             8500 N. Atlas Road         Hayden, Idaho  83835

www.phd1.idaho.gov

Colon Cancer: Survivable and Preventable

By Cynthia Taggart

Panhandle Health District

              Elaine Atkins had tried to stay on top of her health. The Bonners Ferry nurse had a family history of heart disease and breast cancer. She was in her 30s when she’d undergone her first open heart surgery.

              Heart disease had claimed her grandfathers, dad and two brothers. Breast cancer had taken her mother, aunts and cousins.

              “I figured I’d get breast cancer for sure,” Elaine says. “I had a family with a terrible health history.”

              Instead, a diagnosis of colon cancer broadsided her in early 2006.

              “There was none in the family. It was totally unexpected,” she says.

              Elaine is a health educator at Kaniksu Health Services in Bonners Ferry. She knows the value of a colonoscopy, a scan for abnormal growths through the entire length of the colon. Doctors recommend people with no family history of colon cancer or irritable bowel syndrome have a colonoscopy at age 50. With the test, doctors can catch potential cancerous growths early and remove them before they grow deadly.

              Elaine opted for a non-invasive and less costly test that determines the potential for problems through a fecal exam. At her September 2005 routine physical, Elaine’s test results showed no problems.

              As a nurse and health educator, Elaine knew the symptoms of polyps—abnormal growths—in the colon: blood in or on the stool; unexplained and frequent pain, aches and cramps in the stomach; a change in bowel habits; and unexplained weight loss.

              Her husband scheduled a colonoscopy that December after experiencing some of the symptoms. He was in his 60s and overdue for the test. His results showed no problems.

              Elaine noticed blood in her stool in early 2006 and knew she needed it checked after it lasted more than three days. She was 57 and also overdue for a colonoscopy.

              Colon screening is a hard sell with the public despite its effectiveness in preventing cancer. According to the FDA, screening can reduce the incidence of colon cancer by 40 percent.

              Idaho ranks 46th in the nation for the percentage of people in the 50-plus age group who have had a colonoscopy or its shorter cousin, the sigmoidoscopy. Of the state’s seven health districts, three have higher percentages of adults in the 50-plus age group that screen for colon cancer than in the five northern counties. PHD has the highest percentage of adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

              Panhandle Health District Nurse Gail Turley believed she was low-risk for colon cancer. After she turned 50, she continued to urge her patients to get their mammograms to catch breast cancer, but she dragged her feet on scheduling a colonoscopy.

              “I decided I should practice what I preach,” Gail says. “I was going to wait until I was 55, but I made an appointment at 52.”

              A colonoscopy is currently the most effective tool for detecting polyps and cancers. To undergo a colonoscopy, patients prepare their bowels with a laxative or enema and then are sedated. Doctors scan the entire length of the colon with a flexible scope with a video chip, which shows any abnormal growths on a video screen.

              Doctors remove small accessible polyps during the exam and test them. The experience ends if no cancer cells are present. People with cancer-free polyps are typically told to schedule another colonoscopy in five years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend people with no polyps undergo a colonoscopy every 10 years.

              Gail’s colonoscopy revealed three polyps that doctors removed. She wasn’t worried, but tests showed the growths were cancerous. Six days later, a surgeon removed 15 inches of her colon. He tested 19 lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread. It hadn’t. After recovering from surgery, Gail returned to her normal life with no follow-up chemotherapy or radiation.

              Elaine was not as lucky. Her doctor didn’t remove polyps during the test. He saw cancer and knew Elaine needed surgery. A surgeon removed 11 inches of her colon and she spent months on chemotherapy.

              Despite aggressive treatment, test results continued to raise concerns for two more years. Areas didn’t look right and that was enough to keep Elaine in treatment. Her children—all adults—had colonoscopies. They were younger than 50 but now had a family history of colon cancer. Their results all were good.

              In January this year, doctors finally gave Elaine a clean bill of health. The experience altered her life. Her greatest risk factor for colon cancer was weight. She didn’t smoke or drink, but she admits that she likes to eat. Elaine controlled her eating and lost more than 100 pounds.

              Now, she shares her experience with her patients at the clinic.

              “I let them ask me any question they have,” she says. “I tell them that colonoscopies are not that bad and so worth it.

              “I know I was lucky and I want people to learn from my experience.”

              Most health insurance covers the costs of colonoscopies that are doctor-ordered. Schedule a visit to your doctor today to discuss colon health if your age is 50-plus and/or you have a family history of polyps, colon cancer or bowel disease.