MARCH 2016
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Working together to increase colorectal cancer
screening in Alaska
Julie Wrigley felt uncomfortable
and bloated and thought there might be something wrong with her digestion.
Thinking it was a food allergy, the Anchorage lawyer and mother of three had
removed different foods from her diet, but that didn’t help. She visited a
number of doctors, including her primary care doctor who asked if she knew her
family’s medical history.
“I realized I didn’t know that
answer,” she said. “Both of my parents are alive, but I never asked them those
questions directly.”
Asking those questions revealed
that her father had had polyps removed from his colon. When Wrigley mentioned
that, her doctor recommended a baseline colonoscopy. A 40-year-old marathon
runner and vegetarian at the time, Wrigley questioned the test, believing it
was only for older people. The colonoscopy diagnosed stage 3 colon cancer that
required significant surgery and 12 rounds of chemotherapy.
Wrigley’s lesson? Know your
family’s medical history.
“Listen to your body and do
something about it,” she said. “And listen to your doctor.”
Wrigley is joining others in a
call for action. The National Colorectal Cancer
Roundtable is challenging Alaska, and all other states, to increase the screening
for colorectal cancer to “80% by 2018”. In order to meet this goal of screening
more adults 50 and older, health care providers, cancer prevention advocates,
businesses and other partners are invited to join the Alaska Colorectal Cancer Partnership
to increase awareness about colorectal cancer, increase access to screening,
and decrease the number of Alaskans who die from this disease.
The colorectal cancer screening
rate in Alaska is just 63%, with a slow trend up during the past three years.[1] The Alaska Colorectal Cancer Partnership is striving to increase that
percentage, knowing that colon cancer is preventable, screenable and beatable. The chance of surviving colon cancer greatly
increases when it’s found at an early stage.
Cancers of the colon and rectum have a 90% survival rate when the cancer
is localized, or confined to the colon or rectum. The survival rate drops to
70% when the cancer is regionalized, or spread to nearby tissues or lymph
nodes.[2]
Early
Detection
Screening for colorectal cancer
is recommended for those at average risk to begin at age 50 and at age 40 if they
are Alaska Native, according to the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force and the Alaska Native
Tribal Health Consortium. Screening is recommended earlier than 50 if you
have a family history of colon cancer or polyps – just like Wrigley did. There
are several tests to consider, including a colonoscopy every 10 years, a
flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or a yearly FOBT/FIT test (Fecal Occult
Blood Test or Fecal Immunochemical Test) that look for blood in the stool. For
more information on which screening option is right for you, talk with your
healthcare provider or visit this link: Choosing
the right test for Colorectal Screening.
Prevention
According
to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, cancer
risk can be lowered by living a healthy lifestyle:
- Be
physically active for at least 30 minutes at least five days a week;
- Maintain a
healthy weight;
- Eat fruits,
vegetables and whole grains;
- Eat
less red meat and avoid processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot
dogs or cold cuts;
- Don’t smoke;
- Limit your
alcohol use to no more than one drink a day for women, and two drinks a
day for men; and
- Get
screened for cancer.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so be on the lookout for
Nolan The Colon, the inflatable colon making visits to colorectal cancer events
across Alaska. Nolan the Colon will be featured at the Alaska Native Medical Center, Southcentral Foundation in both
Anchorage and Mat Su, and Fairbanks
Tanana Chiefs. Visit www.alaskacolonhealth.org
to hear from Alaskans who got screened and are now sharing their stories.
Take
the pledge
Visit Alaska’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and pledge to
work with other concerned Alaskans, health care providers, worksites, and
community health clinics to increase colorectal cancer screening to 80% by
2018.
References:
-
Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System, 2014 data
- American Cancer Society. Cancer Treatment &
Survivorship Facts & Figures, 2014-2015.
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