March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

March is colon cancer awareness month.

I hear more and more stories of young people being diagnosed with colon/colo-rectal cancer.  I hate cancer. I hate it with every part of my being.

My advice to anyone who will listen...know your body.  Listen to your body.  Be an advocate for yourself. Do not take "no" for an answer. If something changes physically, get it checked out.  Who cares what people think, be over reactive, over protective, push for more testing, do not walk away until you have answers. Research, educate yourself, know the signs, listen to your body.  

I was so mad...a few weeks ago I had a meeting with a group of doctors.  After talking about my products they asked me where I lived, if I had children, and then what my husband did for a living.  When I told the story, about Alec dying, they were of course horrified and saddened.  Then one asked if it ran in his family. No.  I said. Then she proceeded to tell me that it was his diet, that he must have been a "meat" eater and not enough green.  This made my blood boil.  Who was she to tell me "how" my husband got cancer?  And to blame it on his diet!?  That was a slap in the face to me. Actually...No.  He did not eat unhealthy.  In fact, we hardly ate any red meat at all.  We ate fish and chicken 7 nights a week, we ate vegetables with every meal. Salads, fruits, eggs, whole wheat...our weak spot was ice cream, last time I checked ice cream did not cause cancer. We ran together (in fact a marathon the summer before his diagnosis), hiked together (a 12 mile hike up the highest peak in Maine one month before his diagnosis), we were in our "prime" and Alec was not a drinker or a smoker, and he was probably healthier than you and 99% of your patients...Doctor.

And then, a couple weeks ago one of my friends complained about blood in her stool and aches in her pelvic area.  I begged her to get a colonoscopy, she is only 27, but I told her she had to.  She needed to rule out colon cancer.  And she did, and it was internal hemorrhoids, and now we can all sleep at night knowing that she is not going to die of cancer.  I thanked God.

I pray for those who lost their lives to this disease.  I pray for those still fighting.  I pray for TJ and his family, that the new chemo drug he is on works miracles and he lives a long happy life.  I pray that colon cancer is will be as well known as breast cancer, that some day everyone will turn their world blue for the month of March and by doing so it saves more lives.  I pray that no one else I love is ever diagnosed with cancer.

Alec and I, a month and a half before he was diagnosed.  

Our Bar Harbor vacation, 2 months before our lives changed forever.

Alec and Millie...

A picture of health.

Here are the statistics on Colon Cancer...from the Colon Cancer Coalition Website.

http://www.ccalliance.org/index.html

With regular screening, colon cancer can be found early, when treatment is most effective. In many cases, screening can prevent colon cancer by finding and removing polyps before they become cancer. And if cancer is present, earlier detection means a chance at a longer life -- generally, five-year survival rates for colon cancer are lower the further advanced the disease is at detection:

Over 90% of those diagnosed when the cancer is found at a local stage (confined to colon or rectum) survive more than five years.
Once the cancer is diagnosed at a regional stage (spread to surrounding tissue) that rate drops to 69%.
When the cancer has also spread to distant sites, only 12% of those diagnosed will reach the five-year survival milestone.
Stage at Diagnosis

Unfortunately, the majority of colon cancers are not found early (before it has spread):

39% of colon cancers are found while the cancer is found at a local stage (confined to colon or rectum).
37% of colon cancers are found after the cancer is diagnosed at a regional stage (spread to surrounding tissue).
20% of colon cancers are found after the disease has spread to distant organs.
Colon Cancer and Age

90% of new cases and 95% of deaths from colon cancer occur in people 50 or older. However, colon cancer does not discriminate and can happen to men and women at any age.
While rates for colon cancer in adults 50 and older have been declining, incidence rates in adults younger than 50 years has been increasing.
Just launched! New pages with tons of information about young-onset colon cancer, who’s at highest risk and resources for you. Check them out!
Colon Cancer and Ethnicity and Race

Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) may have a higher rate of colon cancer.
Partly because of disproportionate screening, African-American men and women have a higher risk of developing colon cancer and a lower survival rate (about 20% higher incidence rate and 45% higher mortality rate) compared to Caucasians, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans.
The risk of death is also increased for Native Americans and Alaskan Natives.
Colon Cancer and Family History

People with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or children) who has colon cancer are between two and three times the risk of developing the cancer than those without a family history.
Colon Cancer Survival Rates

Since the mid-1980s, the colon cancer death rate has been dropping due in part to increased awareness and screening. By finding more polyps and cancer in the earlier (local and regional) stages, it is easiest to treat. Improved treatment options have also contributed to a rise in survival rates.

The five-year survival rate for colon cancer found at the local stage is 90%.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancer found at the regional stage is 70%.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancer found at the distant stage is 12%.
There are currently more than one million colon cancer survivors alive in the US.

These statistics were compiled from the American Cancer Society’s 2012 Cancer Facts & Figures and Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2011-2013.