Colon Health — Our StoriesColon Health — Our Stories

The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is to get

recommended colorectal screenings

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“Colon screening…that’s what it takes to save lives. That’s how they do it. And there’s no reason why you should be embarrassed … just go on and do it.”

—George, colon cancer survivor from Metlakatla

WHY HAVE A Colorectal

SCREENING?

◆ Prevents cancer by finding and removing polyps (abnormal growths in the colon or rectum) before they become cancer.

◆ If there is already cancer, screening can find it early when it can best be treated.

The words colorectal cancer mean cancer of the colon or cancer of the rectum.

“I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we do need to have early screening.” Colorectal — Henry, colon cancer

survivor from Nome

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Choose colorectal screening

to stay healthy.

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WHO SHOULD HAVE A

Colorectal Screening?

Men and women should start colorectal screening at age 50 (age 40 for Alaska

Native people). If your mother, father, sister, brother or child had

colorectal cancer, begin screening with colonoscopy at age 40 or younger.

Eleanor and Alfred talk about colorectal screening.

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“I told my daughter that she needs to go and get the early colon screening and if she wants me to go with her I will go with her and support her as much as she has supported me all these years.”

— Bunny, rectal cancer survivor from Bethel

WHO SHOULD HAVE A

Colorectal Screening?

What increases your risk of having colorectal cancer?

◆ Being age 50 or older.

◆ Having a family history of colorectal cancer.

◆ Having had polyps or colorectal cancer.

◆ Having ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, where the colon is inflamed over a long time.

◆ Having diabetes.

◆ Being overweight.

◆ Using tobacco.

◆ Drinking alcohol.

Drinking alcohol.

Bunny supports her daughter, Dolly to have a colon screening exam.

WHAT IS A

Colorectal Screening?Colorectal Screening?

A colorectal screening can be a take-home stool test, or a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy exam, whick look inside

a person’s colon for small growths called polyps to remove them before

they become cancer.6

Alfred reviews the consent form with his health care provider.

1) Stool (fecal) test◆ This at-home test detects blood in the stool, which may be a sign of cancer.

◆ If blood is deteced, a follow up colonoscopy is required.◆ This test is usually done annually.

2) Sigmoidoscopy (SIG-moid-OSS-ko-pee)◆ For this exam the health care provider puts a thin, flexible, lighted tube into the rectum and looks at the lower part of the colon.

◆ This exam is usually done every 5 years.

3) Colonoscopy (KO-lun-OSS-ko-pee)◆ This exam is similar to a sigmoidoscopy, except the health care provider uses a longer thin, flexible,lighted tube and looks at the rectum and all the colon.◆ This exam is usually done every 10 years.

WHAT IS A

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“There was no pain at all. I didn’t feel anything.” Alfred takes good care of his health by having a colorectal exam.

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Colorectal Exams:

◆ Done at a clinic or hospital.

◆ Before the exam, you use a laxative or enema to clean out the colon.

◆ During the exam, you may be given medicine to help you relax and be comfortable.

◆ During the colonoscopy exam, your health care provider may remove polyps or small pieces of tissue, called a biopsy.

◆ A specially trained doctor called a pathologist examines the polyp or tissue under a microscope to look for pre-cancer or cancer cells.

“It’s important to get checked...I know some things the doctor can check for can be embarrassing. Cancer is some-thing I thought I’d never get at this age. And here I am talking about it.”

— Henry, colon cancer survivor from Nome

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“I was so amazed. I was able to see the inside of my colon on a little TV. I am very happy that I had my colonoscopy because they took out two polyps that could have turned to cancer. And I encourage everyone 50 or older to have the screening.”

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— Rose, Community Health Practitioner from Chevak

— Rose, Community Health Practitioner from Chevak

“A man stays healthy by going out on the tundra...Knowing the movement of the water and the sky and the birds and the seals. A man goes out hunting far away into the sea and catches a seal and brings it back. And we do this not only for ourselves, not only for our family but for the community.”

—Earl, craftsman from Chevak

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IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO

Decrease My Risk OF DEVELOPING COLORECTAL CANCER?

“I think it’s really important to keep eating our traditional foods, like fish, moose, caribou, whatever is in our region. Berries, lots of berries, like salmon berries, cloud berries...I think our ancestors were very healthy because they ate a good natural diet and they worked hard.”—Alice, from Kenny Lake

This booklet is dedicated to her life and passion for sharing cancer information and family traditions.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO

Decrease My Risk OF DEVELOPING COLORECTAL CANCER?

◆ Stay active. Move your body.

◆ Maintain a healthy weight.

◆ Eat healthy.

◆ Choose to be tobacco free.

◆ Avoid exposure to tobacco smoke.

◆ Choose not to drink alcohol.

◆ Get screened.

Have a colorectal screening when you are healthy to stay healthy.

ancestors were very healthy because they ate a good natural diet and they worked hard.”—Alice, from Kenny Lake

This booklet is dedicated to her life and passion for sharing cancer information and family traditions. 11

If not found early colorectal cancer may cause symptoms.

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Colon cancer often starts quietly, with no warning. Don’t wait for signs or symptoms!

“Get it early. Go see the doctor and tell the doctor every symptom that you have. Don’t leave anything out. And don’t wait.”

— Bunny, rectal cancer survivor from Bethel

IMPORTANT

— Bunny, rectal cancer survivor from Bethel

“We’re the expert about how we feel. If there’s anything out of the ordinary, like pain, blood, whatever, knowing that is important. And then making sure you follow through by seeing a doctor or a nurse. If there’s any kind of symptoms that you are not sure about, it’s important to ask.”

— Henry, colon cancer survivor from Nome

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◆ Blood in your bowel movement.

◆ Diarrhea, constipation or feeling like the bowel does not empty completely.

◆ Frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness and/or cramping.

◆ Always tired.

◆ Losing weight for no reason.

IMPORTANT Possible signs of colorectal cancer:

These may also be signs of other health problems.

See your health care provider for an exam and evaluation.

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What is colon cancer?

◆ Colon cancer starts in the colon, also called the large intestine.

Colon (KO-lun)A 5 to 6 foot tube, connected to the small intestine at one end and the rectum at the other end.

The colon removes water and gets rid of waste. Made of 4 parts: ascending, transverse, descending, and sigmoid.

The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is to

get screenings as recommended.

What is rectal cancer?

◆ Rectal cancer starts in the rectum.

Rectum (REK-tum) The lowest 5 to 6 inches of the digestive tract, where solid waste (stool, poop) is stored before leaving the body through the anus.

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What causes colorectal cancer?

◆ The exact cause of colorectal cancer is not clear.

◆ Colorectal cancer usually starts from polyps in the colon. A polyp is an abnormal growth inside the colon. Over time, some polyps can turn into cancer.

◆ Having a family history of colon cancer or having had polyps in the past increases your risk.

Healthy Colon Colon With Polyp

Talk with your health care

provider today.

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Understanding New WordsAbdomen (AB-doh-men)The area of the body that holds the pancreas, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, and other body organs.

Anus (AY- nus) The opening at the end of the rectum where solid waste (stool, bowel movement, poop) passes from the rectum to the outside of the body.

Benign tumor (bee- NINE)An abnormal growth that is not cancer and does not spread from one part of the body to another. It is usually not dangerous or life threatening.

Biopsy (BY-op-see)The removal of a sample of tissue that is examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells.

Bowel (BOW-ul)The long tube-shaped organ in the abdomen that completes digestion; there is both a small and large bowel, also called small and large intestine.

CancerA word used to describe more than 100 different diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control or order.

Colon (KO-lun)A five to six foot tube-like organ, also called the large intestine or large bowel, connected to the small intestine at one end and the rectum at the other end. The colon removes water and gets rid of waste, stuff your body can’t use. The colon has four parts: ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and sigmoid colon.

Colonoscopy (KO-lun-OSS-ko-pee)A procedure in which a health care provider looks inside all of the colon and rectum using a thin, flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope. During a colonoscopy, the health care provider can remove polyps.

Colorectal (KO-lur-EK-tal)A combination of the words colon and rectum to refer to those parts of the lower digestive tract; colon + rectal = colorectal.

A combination of the words colon and rectum to refer to those parts of the lower digestive

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Crohn’s disease (kronz)Chronic inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, especially the small intestine and colon.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) (Fam-EE-lee-uhl ad-in-O-mut-us Pah-li-PO-sis)A very rare, inherited condition that causes hundreds of polyps in the colon; nearly everyone with FAP develops colorectal cancer before the age of 50.

Family historyInformation about diseases, disorders and illnesses in a person’s blood relatives.

Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)A take-home stool test that finds blood in the stool which may be a sign of colorectal cancer.

Inflammatory bowel diseaseA disease that causes irritation and ulcers in the intestinal tract. Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis are the most common inflammatory bowel diseases.

Large intestineThe tube-like organ, also called the colon, that extends from the small intestine at one end to the rectum at the other end. See colon.

Laxative (LAX-uh-tive)A substance that causes the bowels to get rid of solid waste or poop.

Malignant (MAH-lig-nant)A tumor that is cancer and has the ability to spread to other parts of the body.

Metastasis (meh- TAS-ta-sis)The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another part of the body.

Polyp (POL-ip)An abnormal growth inside the colon or rectum. These growths can sometimes turn into cancer if they are not removed.

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Rectum (REK-tum) The lowest end of the digestive tract located between the sigmoid colon and the anus; solid waste (stool, poop) is stored here before it is passed out of the body through the anus.

Risk factor Something in an individual, her or his lifestyle or environment which increases the chance of developing cancer. Risk factors for cancer include: age, family history, use of tobacco, poor nutrition, obesity, exposure to cancer-causing agents, and some genetic changes.

Sigmoidoscopy (SIG-moid-OSS-ko-pee)A procedure in which a health care provider looks inside the rectum and the lower part of the colon (sigmoid colon) through a lighted tube.

Small intestineThe part of the digestive tract between the stomach and the large intestine, approximately 20 feet in length. Food is partly digested here by juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine.

StomachA muscular, pouch-like organ that helps food digest by mixing it with digestive juices and turning it into a thin liquid. The stomach stores food you have eaten, breaks it down into a liquid mixture, and slowly empties that liquid into the small intestine.

Tumor (TOO-mer)Mass of tissue that grows from abnormal cell division. Tumors have no useful body function. Tumors may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

Ulcerative colitis (UL-sur-ay-tuv KO-LY-tis)A chronic inflammation of the colon that may cause ulcers in the lining of the colon. Symptoms may include: abdominal pain, cramps, frequent diarrhea with pus, blood or mucus.

Helpful Resources to Learn More

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American Cancer Society (ACS)www.cancer.org1-800-227-2345

Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal

National Cancer Institutewww.cancer.gov1-800-422-6237

Alaska Colorectal Cancer Partnershipwww.alaskacolonhealth.org

Alaska Community Health Aide Programwww.akchap.org

ANTHC-Colorectal Cancer Control Program3900 Ambassador DriveAnchorage, Alaska 99508Phone: 907-729-4567anepicenter@anthc.org©2008, 2012, 2015

Funded By: ◆ American Cancer Society Mentored Research Award◆ Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC). CRC Health Communications Project

◆ CDC 5U58DP002061 ◆ CDC 5U58DP002032 ◆ NCI R25 CA 95514

Thank you to all the doll makers whose artistry added to the beauty of this booklet.

Tell a friend, start at age 50 (age 40 for Alaska Native people) to get a colorectal screening.

Begin at age 40 or younger, if you have a family history of colorectal cancer.

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