I recently saw a graphic from a respected advocacy organization recognizing March as Colon Cancer Awareness Month, asking readers to "Tell the world that colon cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable."
I beat back an overwhelming urge to hurl my laptop across the room. Four months ago, my 40-year-old triathlete sister was told she had stage IV colon cancer. There was no family history, save for an uncle diagnosed in his 70s. She felt great, and had no symptoms until a large mass rapidly appeared on her liver that was visible and palpable on her slender, athletic body.
She thought it might be a coughing-induced hernia from a recent respiratory infection. Her surgeon was 95-99% certain it was a benign liver cell adenoma. Today, she is six rounds into an aggressive course of chemotherapy, trying to shrink remaining tumors to the point where they may be surgically removed, and her oncology team is trying hard to match her with a clinical trial.
So much for preventable: we are hoping and praying and she is working hard toward treatable and beatable.
Is colorectal cancer, as our advocates tell us, preventable? Is any cancer truly preventable? In colorectal cancer, colonoscopies may identify cancer in its earliest stages, when small tumors or pre-cancerous polyps can often be safely and easily removed, thereby stopping progression. While they may prevent cancer from developing and spreading, colonoscopies do not exactly prevent colorectal cancer. (Not to mention that an asymptomatic person under the age of 50 would never get one.)
Prevention would mean understanding what causes pre-cancerous polyps from developing in the first place, and knowing how to stop that from happening. In addition to screening, healthy lifestyle factors are prevalent in prevention messaging around many cancers. Colon cancer researchers note that smoking, lack of exercise, red meat consumption or excessive alcohol intake may increase risk for colon cancer
