Last night, my 47 year old “otherwise healthy”brother died of Stage 4 colon cancer. He was diagnosed 6 months ago at age 46 and did not have a single symptom until 8 months ago. The tumor in his colon was the size of a softball and his liver was covered in several inoperable tumors that had spread from the first one.
The first line treatments did not work (which is quite common unfortunately- the chemo options for this type of cancer often aren’t effective) and his liver began to fail just a week into his 2nd line treatment (which was even more unlikely to work anyway). He leaves behind his wife and two teenage sons, his step-daughters, my devastated parents, and me and my other siblings.
The age for colonoscopy screening in the US starts at 45. Even if my then-symptomless brother had gotten a routine colonoscopy screening on his 45th birthday, he still would have been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. His oncologist estimated he’d probably had this cancer for the past 7 years or so. Its extremely slow growing and a “silent cancer” - meaning it typically doesn’t present symptoms until its Stage 4 and considered “incurable”. Most people diagnosed at Stage 4 die with a couple of years of diagnosis. My brother got 6 months.
This cancer used to be uncommon in people under 60. However people are now being diagnosed in their 20-40’s because of factors primarily related to the problems inherent in the food we eat (processed, pesticides, and microplastic contaminated).
The point is, getting a routine colonoscopy at 45 would not have saved him.
I’m taking every opportunity I have to beg people to start getting colonoscopy screenings much earlier than 45. Here is what you need to know (FYI this is United States specific):
1) If you are 45, insurance will cover routine colonoscopy screenings (which generally occur every 5-7 years). Screenings last about 30 min and occur under some level of anesthesia (from “awake-but-loopy” to “fully unconscious” if you prefer that). You can opt to do it without anesthesia too, if anesthesia makes you nervous.
2) If you are under 45 with no symptoms, you can still request one. If you have the money to do so, you can pay out of pocket (you should be able to get an estimate beforehand).
3) If you are under 45 and have any symptoms (for example: GI pain, blood in your stool, recurring diarrhea, etc.), you can request one and it will be covered by insurance. I’m not encouraging lying about having symptoms to get insurance coverage. 👀
4) Likewise, if you have a family history of colon cancer (particularly a 1st degree relative), age is irrelevant and insurance will cover it. I’m not encouraging lying about having a family history to get insurance coverage. 👀
5) Some people are afraid or embarrassed to get a colonoscopy (they stick a camera up where?? 🍑 ) but please I can tell you that all it really amounts to is a really good 30 min anesthesia nap, some residual gas, and a day off from work. Compare that to watching my brother slowly and painfully die these past 6 months.
6) Also important: getting regular colonoscopies actually prevents you from ever getting colon cancer. Colon cancer always begins as a non-cancerous growth called a polyp. Those polyps sometimes stay non-cancerous but sometimes they evolve into cancer. Any polyps found during a colonoscopy are automatically removed by the doctor during the colonoscopy, thereby preventing you from ever getting colon cancer at all. This differs from say, a mammogram, which doesn’t prevent you from getting breast cancer, but does provide an avenue for catching it earlier if you do develop it.
7) Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women (Top 3 most common) and one of the most deadly.
This has been my PSA for the day.
There are so many cancers that we are simply at the whim of, this doesn’t have to be one of them. And don’t let garbage age minimums for screening get in the way.
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