You Win When Colonoscopies Are More Convenient

If you’re busy during the week, now you can schedule your colonoscopy on a Saturday. In recognition of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Jefferson Health is making colonoscopies available every Saturday in March at various locations throughout the Lehigh Valley region.  

“The team has pulled out all the stops to break down the barriers and make colonoscopies more convenient for our health care colleagues and the community,” says Stacey Smith, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine and Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine with LVPG Internal Medicine–3080 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown. 

Hazleton resident Lisa Marie Halecky can attest to the importance of getting this lifesaving screening. 

She had her first colonoscopy at age 47. Fortunately she did, because her surgeon found and removed three polyps during the screening. These are small clumps of cells in the lining of the colon or rectum that are usually harmless but can develop into cancer over time. Halecky’s surgeon removed polyps at her next two colonoscopies as well. 

Colon cancer is unique in that polyps serve as a warning. Doctors can find and remove polyps during a colonoscopy before they pose a serious risk.

“Other common cancers like those of the lung, breast, prostate or pancreas do not have an identifiable precancerous stage that can be addressed to prevent the cancer from occurring in the first place,” says Anthony Auteri, MD, Chief, LVPG Gastroenterology. “Because colon cancers almost always start as benign polyps that grow for many years before turning cancerous, colonoscopy and removal of polyps can actually prevent colon cancer.” 

For this reason, regular screenings are an opportunity. “Unlike most other common malignancies where the goal is early detection, the goal of colonoscopy screening is prevention,” Dr. Auteri says. “Finding an early colon cancer is not viewed by us as a win, but rather a lost opportunity to prevent that cancer.”  

Now that rates of colon cancer are rising in younger people, age recommendations for colonoscopy were recently reduced to age 45 from age 50. Health care teams are constantly working toward awareness and countering the reasons people put colonoscopies off, such as, “I don’t have symptoms” … “I have no family history” … or “I don’t want to drink all that stuff.” 

“Colon cancer often has no early symptoms, and about 70 percent of cases are not genetic,” Dr. Smith says. “As far as the preparation, there are newer, faster and lower-volume colonoscopy prep options available now that make the process more comfortable.” 

Halecky says the screenings are far better than the possible alternative.  

“I’d say if you’re in the age range, you should speak to your clinician about getting the screening done. If you’re clear, you don’t have to go back for 10 years,” she says. “And if you’re not, you may have started saving your life.”