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Colon cancer was the second deadliest cancer in 2020 according to the American Cancer Society, and March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. A local healthcare professional told KSBY how serious this cancer is if the right measures are not taken.
“As Dr. Moeller walked out for the colonoscopy, here’s what he found,” said Doug Roewer, clinical supervisor at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, while showing a video of his colonoscopy on his computer screen.
Roewer turned 40 last year and his family has a history of polyps, which are abnormal growths in the colon that could contain precancerous tissue. The American Cancer Society recommends colonoscopy for people with a family history from the age of 40: a fatal disease that could be prevented with a simple procedure.
“If I had waited until I was 45, I don’t know if that would have been a polyp,” Roewer said, pointing to the screen.
The results of the colonoscopy were sobering for the head of the gastroenterology program; the only polyp removed during the procedure had precancerous properties.
“A lot of people say that after they’ve had surgery, they’ve kind of saved time. I don’t know if I saved the time, but I’m very happy that preventative medicine exists, and I was able to prevent, potentially, colon cancer, ”Roewer said.
It may have saved time, but others who might be at risk are not doing it simply by not using preventative measures. Dr. Neal Moller, director of gastroenterology at Sierra Vista, actually performed Roewer’s colonoscopy. Moller says Sierra Vista sees an average of 1 to 2 new cases of colon cancer every week, but the Central Coast population is still not getting enough screening.
“Normally, across the country, 60% of the population that needs to be screened is screened. Here it’s around 40-45%, so we have a lot of work to do, ”said Dr Moller.
According to Dr. Moller, the central coast has seen a 30% increase in colon cancer in the past year.
“Colon cancer screening can reduce this rate by about 80% if everyone is screened who is supposed to be screened,” Dr. Moller said.
“I don’t know how I would explain it to my kids. I don’t know how I could explain it to my five-year-old or my ten-year-old, I won’t be able to make it to their high school graduation, ”Roewer said. “How can I tell my wife that I have colon cancer when I could have prevented it?”
These are hypotheses, but for the 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer that appear in the United States each year, these questions need to be answered.
“We can see almost everything in the colon in high definition. There is almost no excuse to step in for preventative maintenance, ”Roewer said. “I strongly encourage him. Whether you come to us or elsewhere, I hope you will receive the right care.
To schedule a colonoscopy or preventative colorectal cancer care, contact your primary care provider or local hospital.
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