BRYAN, Texas — It’s National Colorectal Awareness Month, and there are preventative measures you can take now to keep you healthy down the road.
“It’s the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States and is actually the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States,” said Dr. Jason McKnight, Associate Clinical Professor, Texas A&M Health.
Dr. McKnight with Texas A&M Health breaks down what colorectal cancer is.
“Colorectal cancer typically develops as what we call a polyp, and so a polyp is a very small bit of abnormal tissue that’s located somewhere in the colon or rectal area and over time, grows and becomes more abnormal and eventually can turn into cancer,” said Dr. McKnight.
Dr. McKnight believes this tissue forming process may take up to 10 years, emphasizing the importance of staying up to date with your cancer screenings.
“Just because you have one colonoscopy and everything’s clear, doesn’t mean you can’t develop polyps later in life,” said Dr. McKnight.
Being able to look at past screenings allows doctors to identify abnormal tissue early on, to prevent a cancer diagnosis in the future.
Joe Thomas is a cancer survivor and lives in Bryan.
“I was fortunate to be blessed that it wasn’t too late,” said Joe Thomas. “It was third stage with me and I’m so glad that it showed me that it was gone deal with me if I didn’t deal with it first.”
While breast cancer may not be as common in men, he gets regularly screened for all cancers, including colon cancer.
“Cancer, anywhere it is, can be a bad problem,” said Thomas. “It can be a serious problem, in the colon, chest, wherever in your body. It is a devastating thing to deal with something that you can’t handle without help.”
Through the Texas A&M Family Residency Program and School of Public Health, you may qualify for free screenings.
“A grant through CPRIT, which is the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and that grant pays for colorectal cancer screenings for rural and underserved populations.”
If you have questions about your colon health, Dr. McKnight recommends you reach out to your primary care physician on when a good time for you may be to get a colon screening.
If you are in the Brazos Valley and do not have insurance, you can visit Texas C-Step to speak to a community health worker for more information on free screenings or call their office at 979-436-0443.
