Colorectal cancer is a dangerous disease partly because patients rarely show symptoms before their cancer is too advanced to cure. Fortunately though, if it’s caught early, patients usually go on to full recovery. Central Maine Healthcare wants our entire community over the age of 45 to have colonoscopies so we can help stop this disease.
About Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer refers to cancer that begins in the colon or in the rectum. Colon and rectum cancer are grouped together because they have many features in common, like all cancers, colorectal cancer begins when cells in the body begin to grow out of control.
Prevention
While no cancer can truly be prevented, there are important steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk. It’s likely the best way to do this is getting your colonoscopy as soon as you turn 45. This test allows your gastroenterologist to detect pre-cancerous growths early, before they become cancer. These lifestyle changes are also associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Increasing your physical activity
- Reducing alcohol intake
- Quitting cigarettes if you smoke
- Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet
Detection
Detecting colorectal cancer early is possible through a variety of screening tests. These include visual exams, like a colonoscopy, and stool-based tests, in which a provider checks the stool (feces) for signs of cancer. Stool-based tests are less invasive but must be done more often, usually once a year. A colonoscopy on the other hand is usually needed only once every 10 years.
Treatment
Most polyps do not become cancer, but if you’re diagnosed, rest assured you’re in skilled and caring hands. Our multi-skilled team of gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeon, oncologists, specially trained nurses and support staff will work with you to create a personalized cancer treatment plan.
Extra Support in Your Fight Against Colorectal Cancer
Central Maine Healthcare is devoted to providing the best care for all our cancer patients. In addition to our highly skilled specialists, we offer features designed to give you full support during treatment and recovery. These include navigator nurses specifically dedicated to guiding you to resources that will support you and your family and oncology social workers who offer counseling.
Screening and Diagnosis
We understand no one is eager to get a colonoscopy, but it could save your life! Colorectal cancer is 90% preventable which is why, at Central Maine Healthcare, we’re committed to making the process as easy and convenient as possible so more people will get tested.
What is a Colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is a test to view the inside of the rectum and colon, all of the large bowel and the lower part of the small intestine. This routine exam is usually done as an outpatient procedure and is administered by a trained gastroenterologist or surgeon using a colonoscope. A colonoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube with tiny camera and light on one end that relays information to a video monitor.
Why Get a Colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is a safe and effective way to monitor gastrointestinal (GI) health and to check for diseases of the colon. Currently, a colonoscopy is the best defense against colorectal cancer as the most helpful tool in early detection. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and is the third most common cancer in both men and women. Early detection through a colonoscopy could save your life.
Polyps are small growths on the inside wall of the rectum or colon that may become cancerous, removal of these during colonoscopy can actually prevent the polyps from becoming cancer. A colonoscopy is also done to find irregularities in the intestines, or to further look for microscopic evidence of disease through a biopsy taken during the procedure or to treat GI issues.
When Should I Get a Colonoscopy?
The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk for colorectal cancer begin regular screening at age 45. If you have a family history of colon cancer, screenings should start earlier. Talk to your provider about when to start regular screenings if you have a family history of colon cancer.
Colorectal Cancer Symptoms
You should also ask your provider about a colonoscopy if you’ve experienced any of the following:
- Blood present in stool
- Change in bowel habits
- Prolonged rectal pain
- Prolonged stomach pain
- Inflamed colon as determined by a CT (computerized tomography) scan
Additional Colorectal Cancer Screenings
Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard in colorectal cancer screening, but we also perform other standard tests to help detect polyps and signs of cancer:
- Fecal Occult Blood Test: This test, recommended annually, looks for blood in the stool. Polyps bleed more than normal tissue and these tiny amounts of blood can be detected by a test called hemocult.
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: This exam, recommended every five years, evaluates the lower section of the colon and rectum, where most polyps and cancers are located.
Treatment
If you’ve been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, we know how worrisome it can be. But the good news is that colorectal cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. Central Maine Healthcare wants to help you by providing all the compassionate care and support you need to fight this disease.
Treatments We Offer
The type of treatment your provider recommends depends largely on the size and stage of the cancer (early or advanced), as well as your overall health, personal preferences and potential side effects. Our team will work with you to create a plan that you’re completely comfortable with and will focus on keeping you feeling well at every step. Your personal treatment plan may include one or a combination of:
Surgery
Surgery to remove the tumor is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer, especially the early stages. Part of the healthy colon or rectum and nearby lymph nodes may also be removed. If the cancer is small and completely contained within a polyp, your provider may be able to completely remove it during the screening colonoscopy which has less complications and faster recovery, with a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure, using just a few small incisions in the abdomen.
If the cancer has grown into or through your colon, you may need a procedure called a colectomy, in which the part of your colon that contains the cancer is removed, along with a margin of normal tissue on either side of the cancer.
Many colostomy can be less often, some people may need a temporary or permanent colostomy after surgery. This is a surgical opening through which the colon is connected to the abdominal surface to allow waste to exit the body. This waste is collected in a pouch worn by the patient. Our specially trained ostomy nurses can help learn how to manage the pouch and make any lifestyle adjustments.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays (like X-rays) to shrink or kill cancer cells and help prevent recurrence of the disease. The rays can be specifically directed at the part of the body where the cancer is located, and are commonly used to treat colorectal cancer because the tumor tends to recur near where it originally started. It can also be combined with chemotherapy to increase effectiveness.
External-beam radiation therapy is another therapy we use at Central Maine Healthcare to fight colorectal cancer. With this treatment, a machine is used to precisely deliver a high dose of radiation to a small area.
For some people, internal radiation therapy may help get rid of areas that have spread to the liver when surgery is not an option. Brachytherapy is an example of this sort of radiation therapy. It uses radioactive “seeds” placed inside the body to treat the cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells with medicines delivered in varied cycles through either an IV or a pill. It may be used to shrink a tumor before surgery, to kill cancer cells that remain in the body after surgery or radiation or to treat tumors that have developed in other areas of the body. Chemotherapy for colorectal cancer is usually given after surgery if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, which may reduce the risk of a cancer recurrence. For advanced cancer that is no longer curable, chemo be used to help shrink tumors and relieve symptoms.
Targeted Therapy
Typically used for people with advanced colorectal cancer, targeted drug therapy works to block specific genes and proteins that allow cancer cells to grow, while limiting damage to healthy cells.
Immunotherapy
Some patients with advanced colorectal cancer may benefit from immunotherapy, which uses medicines to help a person’s own immune system find and destroy cancer cells.
Central Maine Healthcare Treats the Whole You
We help you in your battle against cancer by providing extra support along the way. Our nurse navigators, for example, guide all our cancer patients through their treatments and direct them to a variety of supportive resources including:
The Arbor House, a hospitality house near the Central Maine Medical Center campus, provides free accommodations for patients traveling a long distance for medical treatments, and for families visiting loved ones who are hospitalized.