March – Colon Cancer Awareness Month

March 7, 2005, ST. LOUIS -- Colorectal cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer. The reason is a 20-minute test that doctors say could save your life.

However, that test – the colonoscopy – is one many don''t look forward to and some try to avoid. While colon cancer kills an estimated 56,000 people per year, studies say only 40 percent of people who should be screened actually get the test. According to Christian Stone, MD, Washington University gastroenterologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, that''s a mistake because there''s no doubt colonoscopy saves lives.

"A lot of patients are afraid of getting a colonoscopy, but I can say from experience that the majority of people will say it wasn''t as bad as they thought it was going to be," says Dr. Stone. "That''s mainly because the sedation is very good these days and most patients will not remember the actual exam."

Anyone familiar with colonoscopy knows the routine. The day before means a liquid diet followed by an evening spent in the bathroom. Dr. Stone says that most patients say the night before is actually worse than the actual procedure.

"During the procedure you''re put to sleep and you may not even remember anything at all, but having to take the prep and having a lot of diarrhea to clean your colon out can be uncomfortable," says Dr. Stone. "But unfortunately there''s no other way to clean out the colon and it''s still worth doing because of the tremendous benefit of catching polyps early and preventing cancer."

Colonoscopies are essential because the not only detect abnormal growths in the colon – or polyps—but they are also removed and can prevent colon cancer from forming. Dr. Stone says people at average risk should start screening at age 50, but for those with a family history they may need to go in earlier.

"If you have a first degree relative, like mother, father, brother, sister, that has colon cancer, you should get screening usually at least ten years earlier than your relative was diagnosed with the cancer," says Dr. Stone. "And then you may get screening earlier if you have family members that have other types of cancer, because uterine cancer, breast cancer, other types of cancer can also increase your risk of colon cancer."

Dr. Stone also says that while there are other screening tests -- such as the flexible sigmoidosopy, a barium study or stool cards – they aren''t as accurate as colonoscopy. "It''s the best way to catch polyps early and remove them and by removing them that reduces your risk because if polyps stay in the colon they keep growing and become cancerous," says Dr. Stone. "There are other ways to detect the polyps but they might not be as sensitive, because they may miss a polyp or a cancer. So colonoscopy is still the best test."

March is colon cancer awareness month. For a free risk assessment kit from Barnes-Jewish''s Siteman Cancer Center, call 800-600-3606.