A colorectal cancer doctor is making the case for butting into your family’s business.
Dr. Parul Shukla, a colon and rectal surgeon with Northwell Health, said there’s a key piece of advice he always gives patients when it comes to preventing colorectal cancer.
And while it might be a bit uncomfortable, it’s certainly less so than having parts of your bowels surgically removed.
The recommendation from the US Prevention Task Force is to start colorectal cancer screenings — that is, colonoscopies — at age 45.
But if you have a family history, that age can drop. Yet because so many people don’t discuss their medical history with their families, a person might not know if they should be getting tested sooner.
“[This has] always been one of my requests to people: Please don’t be shy to discuss the findings of your colonoscopy with your children or with your siblings, because you might save a life,” Dr. Shukla told The Post.
You should also ask your doctor follow-up questions. If, for instance, you have a polyp removed, Dr. Shukla urges finding out if it was an adenoma — a pre-cancer polyp — and what the size was.
“If my father had an advanced adenoma, I should know about it, because that would mean that I would need to be screened at least five or 10 years earlier than the screening age, because that history is as strong as if you would have had a cancer,” he added.
“Please don’t be shy to let them know. If you don’t mind, tell them that this is what I have, and I think that’s going to impact on your age for screening.”
This guidance is especially important for catching early-onset colorectal cancer, which is when it occurs before age 50. That’s been on the rise, increasing 1.4% every year and stumping health professionals.
And while colorectal cancer in general is more common in men, that’s not true for early-onset.
“Actually, the data is quite shocking. You’ll be surprised to hear, in the under 50s, women are getting colorectal cancer at an enhanced rate as compared to men,” said the doc.
“It’s actually flipped the rate … so it’s a frightening statistic, but unfortunately, in the younger age group, women are getting colorectal cancer more than men.”
If you’re really squeamish about getting a colonoscopy, there are other ways to screen, including a stool test or a Cologuard.
“They’re not as good as a colonoscopy, especially because if it’s positive, you still get the colonoscopy to remove the polyp. But you know, the real message is, please get screened.”
The doctor previously detailed the warning signs that could indicate that you have colon cancer, as well as the “scary” truth about young people who get it: They often have no symptoms at all.
