Natalia Higgins

Professor Szalay

English 2010

4 October 2023

Information Effect: Colon Cancer

When you think of cancer, you typically think of breast cancer or leukemia but did you

know that “Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer found in men and women in the

U.S” (IBIS, 2021). Colon cancer can occur in anyone no matter their age. The previous

recommendation for colon cancer screening was to get a colonoscopy at the age of 55 but

according to the American Cancer Society, “Colon cancer diagnoses are rising among people

younger than the age of 55” (ACS, 2021). Due to the increase in colon cancer diagnoses, the new

guideline is to get a colon cancer screening starting at the age of 45. That is if you have no

symptoms or no family history of colon cancer. If you have a first degree relative who has been

diagnosed with colon cancer, you should get your screening colonoscopy 10 years before the age

of your relatives diagnosis. For example, if your father was diagnosed with colon cancer at the

age of 38, you should have your colon cancer screening at the age of 28. The sooner colon cancer

is found, the easier it is to treat, which is why it is important to get your colon cancer screening.

There are several options available when it comes to getting a colon cancer screening.

The most popular and most effective option is to get a colonoscopy. “A colonoscopy is

considered to be a safe procedure that can identify early stage colorectal cancer which leads to

early treatment and improved prognosis” (Schub, 2018). The procedure itself is fairly quick and

easy but many people are hesitant to get a colonoscopy due to the preparation prior to the

procedure. Depending on the gastroenterologist performing the procedure, they may have you do
an over the counter bowel preparation which most often consists of laxatives and a clear liquid

diet for at least 24 hours before your procedure. With the increase in technology and science,

multiple pharmaceutical companies are working to develop a new bowel preparation that is not

only better tasting but also effective in cleaning out the bowels. A pharmaceutical company

known as Sebela Pharmaceuticals has produced a new bowel preparation product called Suflave.

“ Most patients reported that Suflave tastes like a sports drink and described the taste as neutral

to very pleasant. Most patients also reported that Suflave was tolerable and very easy to consume

and indicated they would request it for a subsequent colonoscopy” (Brooks, 2023).

If you decide that you don’t want to do a colonoscopy, there are other options for colon

cancer screenings. There is a FOB test, better known as a fecal occult blood test, which is a test

to see if there is blood in your stool. There is no bowel preparation needed for this test. “This is

done by having you put a small bit of bowel movement on a special card” (Slattery, 2023).

Another popular test is a sigmoidoscopy which is less invasive than a colonoscopy but only

looks at the lower part of the colon rather than a colonoscopy which looks at the entire colon.

The most popular colon cancer test is the Cologuard test. The Cologuard test is an at home test

that does not require any bowel preparation. The pharmaceutical company that created the

Cologuard test is Exact Sciences. They have been trying to get the Cologuard 2.0 approved as a

new test for colon cancer. “The Cologuard 2.0 was found to be better than the original in

identifying cancer and had a 30% lower false positive rate, meaning fewer people need to get

follow up colonoscopies” (Wahlberg, 2023). The Cologuard test is a good alternative way to test

for colon cancer if there is no family history of colon cancer. If your Cologuard test comes back

negative then the recommended repeat testing is every 3 years whereas if you have a normal
colonoscopy, the recommended repeat is every 10 years. Overall, getting a colonoscopy is the

most effective way in terms of colon cancer screening and prevention.

If you do get diagnosed with colon cancer, there are ways to treat it. These ways include

chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. However, “Surgery is the only curative treatment

for localized colon cancer (i.e., stage 1–3) and involves removal of all or parts of the colon and

can be a curative option for patients with stage 4 disease who have limited metastasis in the lung

and/or liver that can be resected with clean margins'' ( Mennela, 2018). The sooner cancer is

found, the easier it is to treat. The best way to reduce the risk of colon cancer and having the

cancer spread to other parts of the body is to have regular cancer screenings that way it is caught

early and can be treated quickly.

Overall, there needs to be more awareness when it comes to colon cancer and getting

your colon cancer screenings. Thomas A. Mackey,who has a PhD from the University of Texas

Health Science Center School of Nursing, states in his article titled Approaches to Increase

Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates, “Providers and patients are encouraged to use shared

decision making to choose a patient’s preferred colorectal cancer screening option, ranging from

noninvasive, convenient, at home stool based testing to more invasive, direct visualization

methods, as screening by any modality is better than no screening at all” (Mackey, 2022). By

making colon cancer screenings more affordable for people as well as by informing them about

the guidelines when it comes to cancer screenings, should increase the colon cancer screening

rates in the upcoming years. It is better to be safe and aware then to leave something untreated

and find out that it is too late.

 Works Cited

Brooks, Megan. “FDA OKs Suflave, a Lower Volume Colonoscopy Prep Drink.” Academic

Search Ultimate , June 2023, Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Harris, Annie. “Common Myths and Misconceptions about Colorectal Cancer: VCU Health.”

Common Myths and Misconceptions about Colorectal Cancer | VCU Health, 14 Mar. 2023,

www.vcuhealth.org/news/common-myths-and-misconceptions-about-colorectal-cancer.

Mennella, Hillary. “Colon Cancer .” Nursing Reference Center Plus, 2018, Accessed 4 Oct.

2023.

Schub, Tanja. “Colonoscopy .” Nursing Reference Center Plus, 2 Feb. 2018, Accessed 4 Oct.

2023.

Utah Department of Health. “Complete Health Indicator Report of Colorectal Cancer Incidence.”

IBIS, 12 Mar. 2021, ibis.health.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/complete_profile/ColCAInc.html.

Wahlberg , David. “Exact Sciences advancing Cologuard 2.0 blood tests for cancer .” Wisconsin

State Journal , 24 July 2023.