A DOCTOR ABOU >>ZAC LASHWAY: DO YOU LIVE HEALTHY MARCH IS NATIONAL
COLORECTAL CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH. AND AT THE
START OF THE PANDEMIC
SCREENINGS DROPPED NEARLY 90%
IN DIAGNOSES FELL BY
32%. BUT DOCTORS ARE
ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO KEEP
THEIR ROUTINE SCREENINGS,
JOINING ME NOW IS DOCTOR
DOUGLAS READER TO JOHNSON FROM
MAYO CLINIC. DOCTOR THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US
THIS MORNING.
FOR PEOPLE NOT FAMILIAR WITH
COLORECTAL CANCER COLON CANCER,
WHAT IS IT.
>> COLORECTAL CANCER IS A TUMOR
OF THE COLON OR THE INTO THE
COLON THAT WRECKED HIM
ABOUT A 150,000 PEOPLE A YEAR
ARE DIAGNOSED WITH COLON
CANCER.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: WHO IS IMPACTED
BY THIS DISEASE.
>> MOST.
THE AVERAGE AGE OF DIAGNOSIS
AROUND
70, BUT WE SEE PEOPLE BEING
DIAGNOSED AT A MUCH EARLIER AGE
IS LET’S TALK ABOUT SIGNS IN
SYMPTOMS WHERE DO WE START.
THE PRIMARY SIGNS AND
SYMPTOMS WILL BE BLOOD IN THE
STOOL OR CHANGES IN BOWEL
HABITS SUCH AS NEW DAIRY OR
CONSTIPATION BUT IMPORTANTLY
MANY PATIENTS DON’T HAVE
SYMPTOMS DON’T HAVE THOSE
SYMPTOMS UNTIL THEN ADVANCED
CANCER. SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO
GET THE SCREENING. EVEN IF YOU
DON’T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS AT ALL.
>> WHO SHOULD BE TESTED.
AND WHEN.
>> EVERYONE SHOULD CONSIDER COURT A CANCER SCREENING PATIENTS SHOULD CONSIDER
SCREENING ABOUT AGE,
4550. I’D LIKE TO LEAVE
EVERYONE WITH THE MESSAGE THAT
THEIR BEST RESOURCE WOULD BE
SAYING THEIR PREMIER CARE
PROVIDED 40 INDIVIDUALS
RECOMMENDATION WHEN THEY SHOULD
START SCREENING AND HOW LET’S
TALK
ABOUT TESTING.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: I KNOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE FEARFUL ABOUT THESE
EXAMS THESE TEST.
WHAT ARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO
PATIENTS TODAY.
>> THERE ARE 2 MAIN OPTIONS,
THE FIRST WOULD BE A STOOL TEST
THAT LOOKS FOR BLOOD OR OTHER
STILL TEST FOR BLOOD IN CANCER
CELLS.
THE SECOND OPTION WOULD BE THE
COST COULD BE YOUR PRIMARY CARE
PROVIDERS A GREAT RESOURCE TO
HELP YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN THOSE 2
OPTIONS. I’LL JUST MAKE A POINT
THERE ABOUT THE COLONOSCOPY.
PATIENTS ARE GOING TO BE
SEDATED DURING THE CALL MUST BE
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO REMEMBER
ANYTHING ABOUT THE COLONOSCOPY
IN TERMS OF THE PREPARATION FOR
THE COLONOSCOPY. PEOPLE.
HAVE A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT
HAVING A DRINK THAT PREPARATION
THERE.
THERE ARE SOME NEW THAT ARE NOW
AVAILABLE SHES A BETTER TASTE
AND CAUSE LESS BLOATING AND
NAUSEA AND OTHER SYMPTOMS THAN
THE ONES THAT WERE
PREVIOUSLY USED.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: AND REALLY
THEY’RE NOT AS BAD AS THEY
SOUND. I KNOW THIS HAD TO GO
THROUGH THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS
AGO AND I WAS YOU KNOW MYSELF
VERY WORRIED VERY CONCERNED.
BUT IT REALLY WASN’T THAT BAD.
>> EVERY SO MANY YEARS, THE MAKERS OF THESE PREPARATIONS COME TO OFFICE AND
WE DO A TASTE TEST OF THEM AND
I’D SAY THE NEWER ONES ARE MUCH
BETTER
THAN BEFORE.
>> I’LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU FEEL
A LOT LIGHTER AFTER THAT’S FOR
SURE YOU KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE
TO ARE EXPRESSING CONCERN WITH
GOING TO. HOSPITALS OR THESE TYPES OF SETTINGS TO BE AN OUTPATIENT FOR PROCEDURE IS IT
SAFE TO BE SCREENED AND TREATED
DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
>> IT’S VERY SAFE TO BE SCREEN
DURING THE PANDEMIC LOT OF
PRECAUTIONS ARE TAKEN AT ANY
HEALTH CARE FACILITY TO SCREEN
BOTH THE STAFF AND OTHER
PATIENTS COMING IN FOR COVID.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: AND YOU KNOW YOU
TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT
EARLIER WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF
PUTTING THESE TYPES OF
SCREENINGS OFF.
>> UNFORTUNATELY THE RISK IS
THAT YOU COULD GET A CANCER YOU
COULD HAVE AVOIDED OR
YOU COULD MISS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE CURED OF CANCER.
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE EACH
YEAR WHO FOR LIFE FOR REASONS
DON’T HAVE SCREENING
AND ULTIMATELY COME TO THE
OFFICE AND THEY HAVE A CANCER.
THAT THEY ORDINARILY WOULD
HAVE HAD.
>>ZAC LASHWAY: YOU KNOW HELPING
US HAVE THE DISCUSSION IS OF
COURSE
THE CITY THE ACOSTA BRIDGE LIT
UP OVERNIGHT
THE COLORS TO EYES SAID
AWARENESS AND TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DISEASE
WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO FOR MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT COLON CANCER.
>> FIRST STOP I THINK WOULD BE YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER FOR YOUR OWN INITIAL
RECOMMENDATIONS. ANOTHER GOOD
RESOURCE IS THE AMERICAN CANCER