This may be the most important post I'll write this year

Catch colorectal cancer early with one of these three screening options.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - a topic I am very passionate about. Last week, my beautiful friend Laurie shared her colorectal cancer story with us. This week, I wanted to talk about options for getting screened, which I consider an important midlife rite of passage.

Not gonna lie, I was dreading my first colonoscopy. But I am so glad I scheduled it anyway because it turns out I had two precancerous polyps.

And after bullying my older sister into getting her first colonoscopy, she finally relented and guess what? She had nine highly precancerous polyps.

Both my sister and I live very healthy lifestyles. We eat a wide variety of unprocessed foods, get lots of fiber, exercise regularly, don’t drink or smoke, and maintain a healthy weight. We have no family history of colorectal cancer, confirmed by the genetic testing my sister had done after her shocking colonoscopy results.

All I can say is, thank heavens for colorectal cancer screening - who knows how far away from a cancer diagnosis either of us was. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.

Thankfully, there are several options for colorectal cancer screening - two of which are quick, easy and convenient. So if you’re at the screening age of forty-five or older, take note!

1. Stool tests: These are at-home tests that require no prep and have no downtime after. If your results come back positive for signs of cancer or precancerous polyps, you’ll need a follow up colonoscopy. If the test is negative, you’ll repeat it every three years.

2. Blood tests: These tests require a blood draw in a lab to detect any signs of colon cancer or precancerous polyps. Again, there is no prep beforehand or recovery time after. If positive, you’ll need a follow up colonoscopy. If negative, you’ll repeat the test every few years.

   While these tests are FDA approved, they have yet to be reviewed by the American Cancer Society and are not currently included in the guidelines for colorectal cancer screening.

3. Colonoscopy: The prep is obnoxious (requires a liquids-only diet the day before and medication to clear out your colon) and you need a buddy to drive you home after the screening, but the procedure itself is quick and painless. And it’s nice that if they do find something, they can take care of it right then.

   If all looks good, you don’t need to screen again for ten years. If they do find polyps, you’ll likely need to come back sooner. For example, my doctor recommended I have my next colonoscopy in five years, and my sister’s doctor wanted her to come back in just one year (which is an indication of how serious her polyps were).

   It’s worth noting that there are newer options for colonoscopy prep designed to be easier for the patient (!!!). This is great news for anyone who has struggled drinking the entire gallon of GoLYTELY (ahem, that would be me). I’m definitely planning to explore these newer FDA approved options, like Suflave or Sutab, when I repeat my colonoscopy in a few years.

So which screening option should you choose? Whichever one you’re actually willing to follow through with. The most important thing is to get screened using any FDA approved screening test. Full stop.

Beyond that, each type of testing has pros and cons. Definitely have a conversation with your doctor about what option is best given your unique medical history and circumstances.

Planning to get a colonoscopy in the near future? I have some amazing crowd-sourced tips saved to an instagram highlight that you should definitely check out. You can find them here.

Now go get screened!

No really. Please, go get screened.

And if my sincere, heartfelt pleading isn’t enough, dedicate your effort to Laurie and go get it done. The inconvenience of the screening is nothing compared to a traumatic cancer diagnosis and treatment.

xo, Rebecca

P.S. There are two other screening tests I didn’t list because I can’t figure out why someone would opt for them. They require the same prep as a colonoscopy, but then require a follow up colonoscopy if anything is found. If you’re going to go through all the prep (which is the hardest part) why not just have a colonoscopy? If you know why anyone would opt for a virtual colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy, please tell us in the comments - I’m very curious!

P.P.S. Laurie left this note in the comments, and I felt like it was important enough to share here:

One thing to note that I’ve been thinking about is how misinformed people are about the seriousness of colon cancer. You wouldn’t believe some of the comments I’ve heard from people. Like, “well can’t they just cut out a piece of your colon?” And, “At least it’s not cancer in a organ you can’t live without like your lungs”

Advanced colorectal cancer has a very high mortality rate. It has a lower 5 year survival rate than many types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, melanoma, leukemia and some types of brain cancer.

Don’t wait until you are symptomatic to get a screening. Early detection prior to symptoms is when colon cancer is easily treatable!