With the observance of March as Nationwide Colorectal Most cancers Consciousness Month, NYC Well being + Hospitals on Wednesday urged New Yorkers 45 to 75 years outdated to get routine screening to forestall colon most cancers or assist discover it early, when it’s simpler to deal with.
NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned colorectal most cancers, also called colon most cancers, happens within the colon or rectum and is the second-leading reason behind most cancers dying in New York Metropolis.
NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned it provides colonoscopies and FIT kits to assist stop colon most cancers or discover it early when it’s extra treatable.
“When colon most cancers is detected at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival price is about 90 %; nevertheless, solely 4 out of 10 colon cancers are discovered this early,” it mentioned. “Typically, colon most cancers doesn’t present indicators or signs till it grows or spreads, which is why it is very important display screen for it recurrently.”
NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned signs of colon most cancers can embody blood within the stool or rectum, sudden weight reduction, and diarrhea or constipation that doesn’t go away.
“New Yorkers ought to speak to their physician in the event that they expertise any of those signs,” it mentioned.
“Colorectal most cancers screening in ambulatory care is paramount, as early detection can save lives and considerably enhance affected person outcomes,” Dr. mentioned Joseph Williams, deputy chief medical officer, NYC Well being + Hospitals/Gotham Well being. “At Gotham Well being, our Care Groups place a excessive emphasis on outreach, affected person training, and knowledge evaluation, to enhance colorectal most cancers screening.”
NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned in the event you get a FIT, your supplier at any of its amenities will ship you house with a check package.
“You’ll use a brush to acquire a small quantity of stool (poop), then return the check package by mail or to the lab for testing,” it mentioned. “The FIT package must be accomplished yearly, so long as blood is just not detected in your stool. If blood is detected, you could want a follow-up colonoscopy.”
“If you happen to’re between ages 45-75, get screened for colon most cancers,” urged Dr. Nichola Davis, vp and chief inhabitants well being officer at NYC Well being + Hospitals. “FIT is a simple, much less invasive different and a technique to do routine screenings. The check might be finished from the consolation of your private home.
“We’ve made appreciable strides in enhancing the effectiveness of our colorectal most cancers screening packages with FIT,” she added. “We now distribute pay as you go envelopes to make it simpler for sufferers to return the FIT, and have enhanced knowledge that makes it straightforward for us to trace screening and follow-up for our sufferers. Screening saves lives.”
NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned A colonoscopy is a process wherein a physician inserts a versatile tube with a digicam on the tip (colonoscope) into your rectum to examine for indicators of most cancers.
It mentioned the physician can discover and take away most small growths and a few cancers.
“Colonoscopies have a low threat for complication and are normally painless, as you’re asleep through the process,” NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned.
“Common screening is the important thing to stopping colorectal most cancers,” mentioned Dr. Andrew Wallach, Ambulatory Care Chief Medical Officer at NYC Well being + Hospitals. “Screening assessments can discover pre-cancerous lesions and take away them earlier than they grow to be most cancers; they will additionally discover cancers early when therapy is only.
“I’m pleased with the work of our Ambulatory Care groups, whose deal with selling wholesome life, assist maintain New Yorkers wholesome,” he added.
NYC Well being + Hospitals warned that New Yorkers usually tend to get colorectal most cancers in the event that they: Are older (the older you get, the upper your threat); have a private historical past of colon most cancers or polyps; have a household historical past of colon most cancers; have sure inherited dangers, akin to familial adenomatous polyposis or Lynch syndrome; have inflammatory bowel illness, like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s illness; don’t train recurrently; have weight problems; drink alcohol; or smoke.
To decrease your threat of colon most cancers, NYC Well being + Hospitals urged: Preserve a wholesome weight; eat fewer processed meats, akin to scorching canines and deli meats; in the event you smoke, make a plan to stop; train recurrently; and cut back the quantity and the way typically you drink alcohol.
NYC Well being + Hospitals mentioned on Wednesday that it screened practically 60,000 sufferers for colorectal most cancers in 2024, utilizing the at-home fecal immunochemical check (FIT), a 12 % enhance over 2023.
