March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Dr. Okonkwo with Dignity Health discusses the importance of colon screenings and how early detection can save lives. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States in men and women combined – but it doesn’t have to be. If you are 45 or older, talk to your doctor about a colonoscopy screening. To schedule your screening, call 480.728.7135 or visit dignityhealth.org/azcolon.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 - The following portion of the Arizona Daily Mix is sponsored by Dignity Health.
00:08 - March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and colon cancer is the second leading cause
00:13 of cancer-related death in the United States, but it doesn't have to be.
00:16 I'm joined by Dr. Okwonkwo of Dignity Health to talk about the importance of colon screening.
00:22 How are you doing, doctor?
00:23 - I'm great, thank you.
00:24 - All right, let's talk.
00:25 This is something that, again, a lot of people avoid doing, a lot of people should be doing,
00:31 and we're finding out younger ages should be doing this, but it is, of course, a colon
00:35 screening.
00:37 I have no problem saying that I had one, and it's not like the old days that I hear about.
00:42 It's much more easier and safer for people to do, am I right?
00:46 - Yeah, it's definitely easier and safer.
00:48 We have better preps now, which is a big reason why a lot of people do not want to have a
00:52 colonoscopy.
00:53 We have better preps that are tolerated very well, really great anesthesia to make the
00:57 procedure very comfortable for patients, and it's relatively quick, only 20, 30 minutes.
01:02 - It's not like we see in the movies or on TV.
01:04 You're not awake.
01:05 Eyelids put under very easily.
01:06 Didn't even know it got done.
01:09 - Yeah, so you're not awake.
01:10 You're completely asleep.
01:12 You have moderate sedation, so you're not on a breathing machine either, which makes
01:15 the procedure a low-risk procedure.
01:17 You don't feel anything during the procedure.
01:19 All of my patients tell me the last thing I remember is going into the room, so you'll
01:23 be completely comfortable.
01:24 - Yeah.
01:25 Another thing, too, is that you talk about the prepping for it.
01:28 I think people have to understand the prepping is very easy.
01:31 It's not like you're starving yourself to death or anything like that, and the reason
01:34 why the prep is important is because that's how you can make sure you're getting the right
01:38 screening for the person, right?
01:40 - Exactly, so we want to have a very good prep so that we can evaluate the entire colon.
01:45 Polyps can be very small, so we want to make sure that there's no stool or anything that's
01:49 going to obscure the view.
01:51 - Yeah.
01:52 Okay, let's talk about the ages, because this is very important, because as we all think
01:57 of colon cancer, we think of older people.
02:00 We think that, okay, may have to wait until I'm 55, 65 to get checked out.
02:03 Not necessarily now, right?
02:05 - No, not necessarily.
02:06 So the colon cancer screening age starts at 45, and that's reflecting an increase in the
02:11 incidence in young patients.
02:12 So it used to be 50 years old, but we are seeing colon cancer in younger and younger
02:16 patients, and they're actually having worse outcomes.
02:19 - And that's kind of crazy we're seeing those numbers in younger people.
02:22 Do you think it's just because of the way that we've pretty much have been working at
02:26 home and doing different things that helps us, I mean, it's not helping us in getting
02:31 us to these screenings sooner?
02:32 - Well, definitely, especially during COVID.
02:36 That was a time where a lot of people lost track of their screening.
02:39 In addition to that, an inactive lifestyle is considered a risk factor for colon cancer.
02:43 - All right, and what's the fast track colon, colon scope we were talking about?
02:50 - Yeah, so we have a direct colonoscopy program where patients can call directly and they
02:54 can be scheduled for the procedure.
02:56 So they can be scheduled without having to do an additional appointment with the physician.
03:00 - It's kind of interesting, I'm a little nervous talking to you, doctor, because people do
03:02 get nervous having this conversation, but it needs to be done because, again, this is
03:07 one way of preventing having colon cancer, but also to help people find it sooner if
03:12 it does happen, right?
03:13 - Yes, exactly.
03:14 So one of the best parts of the colonoscopy is that it actually helps to prevent colon
03:18 cancer in that it identifies polyps that are small growths that can turn into colon cancer
03:23 over time.
03:24 - Okay, I've had mine.
03:25 I actually think I've had it a couple of years ago.
03:28 So when do I need to go back for one?
03:30 - So that depends.
03:32 It depends on what your colonoscopy results were and what your family history were.
03:36 So for patients who have a normal colonoscopy with no family history, they have their next
03:40 colonoscopy at 10 years.
03:43 For patients with polyps, depending on the number of polyps, that will be somewhere between
03:48 the three to five years.
03:49 For patients with a family history, we typically do every five years, unless, of course, they
03:52 have polyps.
03:53 - Yeah, I love, too, that you worked with me, because I have different medication, and
03:57 that's one thing you do work with people when they go get these done, and that's why I'm
04:00 saying, you gotta go get checked out, because they need to know health is there for you.
04:04 - Absolutely.
04:05 - Yeah, and again, let's talk about the fast screen, because that's something that we really
04:08 want people to understand.
04:09 You don't need an appointment for that again, right?
04:10 - Yeah, you don't need an appointment.
04:11 You can call directly, and they will schedule you for the procedure.
04:16 - Very easy to do.
04:17 Both men and women need to go get it done.
04:19 Like I said, I had it done a couple years ago, no problem.
04:22 I'm pretty much okay.
04:23 - I hope so.
04:24 - Yes, I am, and that's important.
04:25 Doctor, thank you very much for joining us.
04:29 - Thank you.
04:30 - If you want more information about, of course, the colon screening, the information's right
04:33 there on the bottom of your screen, or you can head over to azdailymix.com.
04:37 - The preceding portion of the Arizona Daily Mix was sponsored by Dignity Health.
04:47 - Thank you.
04:47 - Thank you.
04:48 - Thank you.
04:48 - Thank you.
04:49 - Thank you.
04:49 [ Silence ]