Why she’s so passionate about spreading the word that the recommended screening age has been lowered to 45.
Spreading awareness about colorectal cancer has been my mission since I lost my husband Jay to the disease in 1998. He was just 42 years old. Suddenly, the life and the family I envisioned were gone. I couldn’t believe this had happened to us — really, to Jay.
I wanted to share what I had learned about this number two cancer killer of men and women combined. I thought if more people were aware of the symptoms and got screened, perhaps other families would be spared of the heartache ours had endured.
In the 22 years since we lost Jay, colon cancer hasn’t gone away. In 2021, it was estimated that more than 149,000 people would be diagnosed with the disease and about 53,000 would die.
Shockingly, colon cancer remains the most preventable, yet least prevented, cancer. Think about that. It’s highly preventable, but people just don’t take the steps they need in order to prevent it. And because colon cancer is a silent disease — symptoms often appear only when it has advanced — you have to be screened when you’re feeling just fine. And I’ve come to learn that no family history of colon cancer is no guarantee it won’t happen to you. About 70 percent of colon cancer patients have no family history…so a family history could start with you.
Since I’ve started spreading the word about colon cancer, there’s been an alarming trend. Colon cancer is on the rise in people younger than 50. I’ve heard heartbreaking stories about people, in the prime of their lives, diagnosed with advanced disease. Because of that, major medical associations, including the American Cancer Society and United Services Preventive Services Task Force, have updated their guidelines to recommend regular screening start at age 45 — five years earlier than prior recommendations.
I joined forces with Exact Sciences, the maker of Cologuard, to launch the “Mission to Screen” campaign, at the start of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March 2022. It aims to educate people on colon cancer screening starting at age 45, the importance of early detection, and the availability of multiple screening options. Today there are more screening options than ever before, including noninvasive tests like Cologuard.
So talk to your doctor. Think of getting screened as something to check off your “to-do” list. Don’t be one of those people who say, “If only.” Do it for the people you love so you can be around for them for as long as possible.
