Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2021 WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING The rate of diagnosis of colorectal cancer in adults under 50 has been rising for decades. The American Cancer Society in 2020 released statistics stating that 12% of colorectal cancers that year would be diagnosed in people under age 50. This trend was highlighted for many by the death of actor Chadwick Boseman. The "Black Panther" star died in August of colon cancer at the age of 43. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Mary Washington Healthcare wants all adults to know that regular screening through colonoscopies is vital to fighting this disease. Daniel Geisler, MD, a colorectal surgeon at Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital, said colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States when statis- tics for men and women are combined, but the most preventable through screening. "It's all about early detection," he said. Screening through regular colonoscopies should start at age 45, Dr. Geisler said. That is younger than the previous recommendation of 50, and Dr. Geisler said the recommended age to begin screenings could come down to 40 in the years to come, reflecting the grow- ing risk of colorectal cancer in younger adults. Individuals with a first-generation relative who has had colorectal cancer should start screening 10 years before their relative's age at diagnosis. Sponsored Material KNOW THE SYMPTOMS Early detection through regular screening can help catch and remove polyps—clusters of cells on the walls of the colon or rectum—before they cause symptoms, or before they can develop into cancer. But individuals should consult their primary care physician or Mary Washington Healthcare's colorectal cancer specialty team if they experience any persistent change in their bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation, rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, cramping, abdominal distension or pain. Fully investigating these symptoms is key, and the team at Mary Washington Healthcare knows the importance of thor- ough diagnostics. Dr. Geisler said he recently treated patient in their 30s who had initially been diagnosed with a prolapsed hemorrhoid. After further investigation, Dr. Geisler and his team removed a 4-centimeter polyp from this otherwise healthy, active per- son's colon. The biopsy results showed that the polyp would have turned into invasive cancer if left in place. "If we had waited another year or so this probably would have been an invasive cancer," Dr. Geisler said. "Fortunately, the patient was very gung-ho about their health, got screened and I can now share the good news that this did not turn out to be malignant." Sponsored Material For Colonoscopies, 45 is the New 50 Mary Washington Healthcare urges adults of all ages to remember that early detection of colorectal cancer saves lives.

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