CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and doctors say it is an important time to educate people about one of the most common cancers in the country.
News 12 spoke with two doctors about how colorectal cancer develops and what people can do to prevent it.
Toufic Kachaamy, M.D., Chief of Medicine at City of Hope Cancer Center in Phoenix, says colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can actually be prevented.
“Colorectal cancer is the cancer where we can completely prevent it.”
He explained that the disease often begins with small growths known as polyps.
“You have a polyp, a small growth that develops. With time it can pick up mutations and become cancerous. That means it starts invading the tissue around it or traveling in the body and damaging other tissues.”
Doctors say being aware of symptoms is also important.
Laxmi Parsa, M.D., a gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Erlanger, says warning signs can appear gradually.
“Patients can start having rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, and some may begin losing weight. Colorectal cancer can also cause slow bleeding.”
Despite the seriousness of the disease, doctors emphasize that early detection greatly improves outcomes.
Parsa explained that several screening tests are available and can detect the disease before it becomes dangerous.
“Luckily it is preventable. We have a number of screening tests. We have stool-based tests, and we also have colonoscopy which we can start doing beginning at age 45. During those screenings we can detect small polyps and remove them completely.”
Kachaamy says one of the biggest barriers to prevention is simply not getting screened.
“Colorectal cancer. We have the technology today and the knowledge to prevent it. The only thing that prevents us from preventing it is people not getting their tests on time or not knowing who is at high risk and needs to be tested earlier.”
Doctors encourage people to talk with their healthcare provider about screening options.
They say early testing can be a lifesaving step.
