Colon screening can save lives

Local News

TO LEARN MORE

To learn more about colorectal screening, call the Cancer Services Program at 562-7112.

To learn more about colorectal cancer, attend the upcoming Community Lecture on the subject with Dr. Paolo Fedi at 6 p.m. March 6 at the West Side Ballroom, 253 New York Road in Plattsburgh. Call 562-7320 to reserve a seat.

Related Photos

Nancy Sucharski (left), a colon-cancer survivor, and Didi Remchuk, cancer-screening coordinator for CVPH Medical Center, share a lighthearted moment as they discuss the importance of regular screening for colorectal cancer. Photo Provided

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February 21, 2012

JEFF MEYERS Press-Republican The Press Republican Tue Feb 21, 2012, 02:26 AM EST

PLATTSBURGH — Regular screening for colon cancer can save lives; just ask Nancy Sucharski.

Sucharski, at 36, was not at an age where one typically thinks about the potential threat of colon cancer. She had battled another form of cancer as a teenager, however, and the subsequent chemo and radiation therapies left her at risk for developing tumors later in life.

"Colon cancer was never on my mind," she said of those days nearly a decade ago when she began to experience unusual bowel changes. "I thought it was stress related."

Sucharski, who is from Plattsburgh, did undergo a sigmoidoscopy — a procedure that targets the rectum and lower colon to help doctors search for a cause — but results showed no apparent problem.

A year and a half later, she began to experience rectal bleeding and returned to the doctors, who ordered a colonoscopy. This time, cancerous polyps were identified, and she began treatments that to this day have proven successful.

"At 36, I didn't fit into the normal parameters (for colon screening), but it was needed," she said. "You definitely have to listen to your body. You know your body best; you know when something is not normal."

The American Cancer Society recommends that people at normal risk for colorectal cancer receive a colonoscopy by age 50 to allow doctors a chance to search for tumors or precancerous polyps that need to be removed.

"That doesn't mean you won't get (colorectal cancer) before age 50," said Didi Remchuk, cancer-screening coordinator for CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh. "You have to be your own health-care advocate. If you have any kind of symptom, tell your doctor."

People at higher risk for colorectal cancer include those who have a close relative who had colon cancer under age 60 or had more than one relative who had colon cancer or growths in the colon at any age.

Those with certain health conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis, are also at higher risk and should undergo colonoscopies at a younger age.

"Colon cancer is the third most common cancer," Remchuk said. "It is preventable; it is treatable; and it is beatable."

If screening procedures find polyps, doctors can remove the growths and then determine if they are cancerous and whether further treatment measures are required.

"Many people do not want to go through the preparations for a colonoscopy (including fasting for a lengthy period and ingesting a liquid to flush the bowel system), but not having it done won't make the (potential for having cancer) go away," Remchuk said.

Most insurances pay for colonoscopies, but the New York Cancer Services Program of Clinton County offers free cancer screenings for uninsured men and women ages 50 and older.

The Clinton County Health Department also offers a take-home fecal-blood test kit that people can use to test for signs of potential problems. The kit allows users to submit their results to be tested; if the results are positive, a colonoscopy will be scheduled to determine the source of fecal blood.

CVPH Medical Center, the Clinton County Health Department and downtown Plattsburgh businesses are promoting the importance of colorectal screening during the upcoming Main Streets Go Blue month, when participating stores will decorate in blue.

National Dress in Blue Day is March 2, and the Cancer Services Program is asking everyone to wear blue in recognition of colon-cancer screening.

People can also be proactive against colorectal cancer by eating healthy and staying active. Fruits and vegetables of all types and whole grains in bread, cereal, rice and pasta are prime foods that promote colorectal health.

Moderate to vigorous exercise is also beneficial. At least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise tip the scale toward improved health.

More exercise will translate into greater benefits, though people should always check with their doctor before beginning an exercise routine.

Email Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com