As you mentioned, many people may be fearful of getting colonoscopies. Do you have any advice for them?
Dr. McFadden: I would say that it’s important to acknowledge that fear, to understand where it comes from. But then it’s also important to understand the potential consequences of not having a colonoscopy. What are the benefits of having a colonoscopy? We know that a colonoscopy is not just a diagnostic test, it’s also a treatment for colorectal cancer. So if there is a potential polyp that is found, we can remove that polyp before it becomes cancer. And so I think understanding what the colonoscopy is and what the benefits are can often help remove some of those fears.
But there are also other tests that are available besides colonoscopies, and those are things that can be done at home. the Cologuard test is a test that you can do at home. It’s also important to understand that just because you do the Cologuard test and it’s abnormal, doesn’t mean that you have cancer, but it does mean that you need further testing and that further testing may need to be a colonoscopy. So there are options that are available for people who are fearful of colonoscopies, but those options should be discussed with a healthcare provider to see if those are appropriate for that individual.
How often should individuals get screened for colorectal cancer?
Dr. McFadden: The recommendation is that we start screening for colorectal cancer at age 45 for the average-risk individual. And then how frequently depends on the individual patient, their risk factors, their family history, [and] the type of screening test they had. So the gold standard, of course, is the colonoscopy, and if you have a colonoscopy and there are no findings, then that’s typically every 10 years. But there are other tests available that can be done more frequently. That’s the Cologuard test, a test that can be done at home. That’s a test that has to be done every three years. But again, it depends on the individual patient, depends on their risk factors, depends on their family history, so it’s important to have that conversation with your healthcare provider to see what’s the right test at the right time for that patient.
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance provides valuable resources. Can you talk about the work that they do?
Dr. McFadden: The Colorectal Cancer Alliance, provides a lot of support, a lot of information, [and] a lot of resources for patients and their families who are facing colorectal cancer. So that can range from educational materials about what is colorectal cancer, the treatments available, [and] the screening tests available.
They also provide a lot of support for patients who are undergoing treatment for colorectal cancer. That could be support groups, that could be financial assistance, that could be assistance with getting screenings [and] the appropriate care that they need. The Colorectal Cancer Alliance provides a wide range of resources for patients and their families who are facing colorectal cancer.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about colorectal cancer treatment and prevention?
Dr. McFadden: Yeah, I think that it’s important to recognize that your health is your wealth and that it’s important to advocate for yourself. It’s important to seek second opinions if you feel that’s necessary. It’s important to ask questions of your healthcare team because that’s the only way that you’re going to understand what’s happening with your health and be able to advocate for yourself. So I think it’s important that patients feel empowered to ask questions and seek help when they need it.
