>>VIC MICOLUCCI: ONCE CONSIDERED AN OLDER PERSON’S CANCER, COLON CANCER DIAGNOSES
IN YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BECOMING
MORE AND MORE COMMON. A RECENT
REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN
CANCER SOCIETY FINDS THAT
CASES OF COLON CANCER IN
PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN 55 DOUBLED
GOING FROM 11% IN 1995. TO 20%
IN 2019. DOCTOR ALEX CREAN, A
COLORECTAL SURGEON WITH HCA
FLORIDA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IS
JOINING US LIVE THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
ON. THIS IS ALARMING FOR SO
MANY OF US WANT TO ASK YOU
THIS DOCK. WHAT IS CURRENTLY
RECOMMENDED AS FAR AS THE
SCREENING AGE FOR COLON
CANCER.
>> YEAH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME ON TODAY. I’M SO
OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS, THE
TRADITIONALLY IT WAS 50 FOR
STARTING COLONOSCOPIES. NOW
IT’S ACTUALLY BEEN MOVED BACK
TO 45 THAT’S BEEN RECOMMENDED
BY THE AMERICAN CANCER
SOCIETY. THE AMERICAN SIDE TO
CALL RECTAL SURGEONS AND ALL
THE OTHER. THEY SHOULD
BASICALLY MAJOR MEDICAL
SOCIETIES THAT SIDE HOW AND
WHEN PEOPLE SHOULD GET
SCREENED AND THAT THAT WAS A
MAJOR MOVE TO TRY TO ADDRESS
THIS ALARMING TREND.
>> CERTAINLY ONE OF THE
REASONS BEHIND THIS ALARMING
TREND.
>> YEAH, THAT’S THAT’S THE
REAL. THAT’S THE MILLION
DOLLAR QUESTION YOU KNOW, WE
DO THINK THERE’S SOME TIME TO
OBESITY. THERE ARE OTHER SOME
HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS THAT
AFFECT A LOT OF CANCERS LIKE
SMOKING OR EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL
USE. BUT WE ARE STILL TRYING
TO FIGURE OUT AS A MEDICAL
COMMUNITY IS WHY IS THIS A
WARMING TREND HAPPENING?
BECAUSE WE’RE NOT ONLY SEEING
PEOPLE GETTING DIAGNOSED AT AN
EARLIER AGE, BUT WHEN THEY’RE
GETTING DIAGNOSED, SOMETIMES
IT’S MORE ADVANCED DISEASE
WHICH COULD BE MORE DIFFICULT
TO TREAT.
>> CERTAINLY CERTAINLY
ABSOLUTELY SO. WANT TO ASK YOU
THIS. WHO SPECIFICALLY SHOULD
GET SCREENED AT AN EARLIER AGE
OR MORE. PEOPLE ARE CERTAIN
PEOPLE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN
OTHERS.
>> YEAH, THAT’S A GREAT SO
EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, THAT’S A
NORMAL RISK SHOULD START. 45,
BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO TALK TO
YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW,
ESPECIALLY GRANDPARENTS,
COUSINS. IF THERE’S ANYONE
FAMILY THAT POTENTIALLY HAD A
HISTORY OF COLON CANCER, YOU
WANT TO CONSIDER GETTING
SCREENED BEFORE 40. IF YOU
KNOW THAT YOUR FAMILY JUST AS
A PREVIOUS MISSION FOR OTHER
CANCERS ARE SOME SYNDROMES
THAT CAN RUN IN FAMILIES THAT
COULD MERIT EARLIER SCREENING
WORST CASE SCENARIO. IF YOU’RE
HAVING SYMPTOMS THAT YOU’RE
CONCERNED ABOUT TO SPEAK WITH
THE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AT
CI POSITION, A COLD SURGE.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES
THE SYMPTOMS ARE VERY BUT IT’S
FOR PEACE OF MIND. IT’S WORTH
CHECKING IN WITH SOMEONE LIKE
THAT.
>>VIC MICOLUCCI: OF COURSE.
CAN YOU GO INTO MORE DETAILS
ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS? WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE RED FLAGS WARNING
SIGNS THAT YOU NEED TO CHECK
UP RIGHT AWAY?
>> YEAH, THAT’S YOU KNOW, OUR
MAIN POINT HERE IS A LOT OF
THESE THINGS ARE VERY COMMON,
BUT ANYTHING LIKE, YOU KNOW,
BLOOD WITH DOWN MOVEMENTS,
UNEXPLAINED ABDOMINAL PAIN.
IT’S NOT GETTING BETTER WEIGHT
GAIN WEIGHT LOSS THINGS LIKE
THAT, ESPECIALLY BUT IT’S NOT
GETTING BETTER. YOU KNOW, IT
JUST KIND OF CHANGE YOUR
DAY-TO-DAY ROUTINE. IT’S WORTH
ASKING ABOUT. AND SOMETIMES
THOSE PEOPLE DO NEED A
COLONOSCOPY. CASE DO FIND
THINGS SO IT’S WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT THE PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIAN OR SOMEONE ELSE LIKE
THAT.
>> AND I CAN IMAGINE OUR.
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS GET A
LOT OF PUSHBACK WITH PEOPLE
THAT WANT TO THAT DON’T
NECESSARILY WANT TO GET THIS
KIND OF SCREENING. WHAT DO YOU
SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE NERVOUS,
WHO SAY, OH, IT CAN WAIT. I
DON’T NEED IT RIGHT NOW.
>> YEAH, IT’S YOU KNOW, IT’S A
PROCEDURE, YOU KNOW, SO IT IT
IS A DAY OR 2 OF YOUR LIFE
REALLY WITH THE COLONOSCOPY.
IT’S AN OUTPATIENT PROCEDURE.
IT’S ESSENTIALLY A PAINLESS
PROCEDURE. DOESN’T BALL ABOUT
FRIENDS IN THE DAY BEFORE. SO
IT’S ABOUT AT MOST 48 HOURS OF
YOUR LIFE. BUT, YOU KNOW,
SOMETIMES THE TREATMENTS THAT
WOULD BE INVOLVED IF YOU
DIAGNOSED COLORECTAL CANCER
POINT LATER ON IT BE A LOT
MORE WILD IN TODAY’S YOUR
LIFE. SO I REALLY DO THINK
IT’S WORTH IT. AND WE’RE
ALWAYS HAPPY TO ANSWER AS MANY
QUESTIONS AS PEOPLE HAVE TO
LAY THEIR FEARS ABOUT
PROCEDURE AND LET THEM KNOW
IT’S A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD
ONE TO 2 DAYS LIKE, OF COURSE,
WILL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR
BREAKING THAT DOWN. HOPEFULLY.
>> YOU’RE HELPING SOME PEOPLE
COME IN, GET INTO THE DODGERS.
GET THAT EARLY INTERVENTION
AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS IS OUT
THERE. DOCTOR CORINNE, WE