What's New
Colon Cancer: A Conversation That Can Save Lives
Colorectal cancer (also referred to as colon cancer) remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in North America. Despite the fact that it is one of the most treatable forms of cancer if detected early, less than 30 percent of eligible people get regular screenings.
People don’t like to talk about colon cancer. It seems like an embarrassing subject, but what if this conversation could save lives? Dr. Carl Brown, a Specialist in Colorectal Surgery at St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) is hoping to get people talking about life-saving screening through annual stool tests; something that should be promoted for everyone over the age of 50.
Colorectal cancer, a catch-all phrase used to describe both rectal cancer and colon cancer, includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. The disease develops in 6.5 per cent of Canadians in their lifetime, with rectal cancers accounting for about one third of these cancers.
Despite the numbers, this disease is over 90 per cent curable if discovered at an early stage. When it comes to colon cancer, Dr. Brown says education is key. “People are embarrassed to talk about their bowels and fear talking about cancer; however, it’s important and I hope that people will become more educated about their risk and what they can do to avoid this terrible illness.” He encourages everyone over 50 years of age to approach his or her family doctor and demand a colon cancer-screening test. He adds that if you have a sibling or a parent who has/had colon or rectal cancer, you should have a colonoscopy. In this situation, colonoscopy is recommended either at age 40 or 10 years younger than the family member who had cancer (whichever is earlier).
Dr. Brown acknowledges that there are several reasons why people might avoid regular screenings. For starters, most people are not aware of the risk for colon cancer. Secondly, colon cancer is asymptomatic until it reaches an advanced stage and people generally equate illness with symptoms. Without symptoms, the population is hard pressed to believe they could ever have colon cancer. Lastly, the testing involves sampling from their stool, something most people are not keen on.
Dr. Brown is the chairman of the Research and Outcomes Evaluation Committee at the British Columbia Cancer Agency and an active member of the Colorectal Cancer Outcomes Unit. He is also a member of the Surgical Oncology Network of British Columbia Executive. The goal of these groups is to improve the outcome of patients with colorectal cancer through research initiatives.
St. Paul's Hospital boasts a centre of excellence in colorectal surgery with specific focus on colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other diseases of the lower gastrointestinal tract.
SPH is one of the only facilities in Canada utilising Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) to remove smaller rectal tumours. This process saves select patients the risks of undergoing major abdominal surgery. With this procedure, many patients leave the hospital the same day of their surgery. To date, colorectal surgeons at SPH have performed 42 of these procedures, having had referrals from all over BC, Saskatchewan and even Mexico City.
As a University of British Columbia teaching hospital, St. Paul's Hospital serves as a training centre for general surgeons and is a leader in the research and treatment of patients with colorectal diseases.