Colons and polyps aren’t typically subjects for family dinner-table conversation, but an increasing number of folks would like to challenge that taboo.

Although most of us can tell you if we have a family history of breast cancer or heart disease, we’re less likely to know if a parent or sibling has a history of colon cancer or polyps. That’s because many of us feel uncomfortable discussing that area of our bodies. Yet that conversation, especially among family members, can save lives. (For tools to search and share your family history visit http://familyplz.org/)

According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Men and women are both affected.

“Once we can get a dialogue going, it will play a huge part in getting people to be more open about getting screened,” says Dr. Rupa Fritz, a gastroenterologist at Dayton Gastroenterology Inc. “Not a lot of people like to talk about their bowel movements or anything to do with their colon, but bringing this to the forefront will help bring important awareness.”

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and, according to the American Cancer Society, every 10 minutes a life is lost to colon cancer. It’s predicted that 142,000 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed across the nation in 2012 and more than 50,0000 deaths are expected.

Raising awareness

A number of awareness events are being planned in the area including a “Laugh Your Butt Off” comedy night at the Funny Bone Comedy Club at The Greene on Wednesday and the fifth annual No Buts About It 5K Run/Walk for Colon Cancer Awareness on Saturday, March 31, at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek.

A national petition campaign sponsored by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance aims to gather 25,000 signatures by March 14 in order to shine a light on colon cancer by spotlighting the White House in blue lights. (www.ccalliance.org)

Living with colon cancer

Although it’s often dubbed an old person’s disease (90 percent of people with colon cancer are older than 50), young people can get it as well. Krystal Stallings of Dayton was diagnosed at age 26 with no family history. The mother of two is now 30 and battling Stage 4 colon cancer.

“It’s a horrid, bad disease, especially if it’s caught too late,” says Stallings, whose symptoms began with a backache that her doctors first attributed to pregnancy. “You need to be in tune with your body,” said her husband, Mark Stallings. He is trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for his family by taking on the household tasks of feeding the kids, keeping up with their homework and preparing for soccer season.

“If you think something’s wrong, keep talking to your doctor,” he warns. “This is something we don’t want anyone else to have to go through.”

Signs of progress

The good news is that the incidence of colon cancer has been steadily decreasing.

“This is a cancer that as a group we have been winning over the past 15 years,” says Springfield gastroenterologist Dr. Challa Ajit. “The incidence is coming down by 2 or 3 percent every year and that’s absolutely good news. In most other countries, colon cancer is increasing because they don’t have sophisticated screening methods.”

Early diagnosis key

What’s important for people to know, he adds, is that it’s a cancer that can be prevented and the earlier it’s discovered, the better the prognosis. A just-released study published in The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that colonoscopy does, in fact, help prevent deaths.

But it’s a test folks love to hate — both because of the preparation and the procedure itself. The procedure involves steering a flexible instrument around the bends of the colon in search of polyps while the patient is sedated. If a polyp is found, it’s removed and a biopsy is conducted. Most people don’t remember the procedure afterward.

Because most cancers begin as a non-cancerous polyp, the idea is to remove the abnormal growth in the lining of the colon or rectum before it has a chance to turn into a cancer. It typically takes eight to 10 years for a polyp — a benign tumor — to become cancerous.

Preparation for the half-hour test includes taking a laxative, drinking plenty of clear liquids and numerous trips to the restroom.

Though no one is willing to go so far as to say the prep and procedure are now a piece of cake, doctors stress the improvements that have been made through the years that make it less unpleasant.

“The big news is that the days of drinking a whole gallon of laxatives are over,” says Fritz. “It’s now down to 64 ounces and those are split up — half the night before, half several hours before the test. The taste has improved and now we mix it with Gatorade or Crystal Light.”

Dr. Edward J. Crane, an oncologist who practices in West Chester Twp. and Fairfield says colon cancer testing and prevention are all about being safe.

“The fact is there are lots of safety measures we take that are uncomfortable — we may not like to wear a seat belt or get a mammogram or prostate exam, “ he says. “But we do those things to make sure we’re safe. This is just one of those things.”

Treatment options

If cancer is diagnosed, treatment will depend on how far it has spread but can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

“If it’s caught early, the primary treatment is surgery,” Crane explains. In the past five years, he says, surgeons also have been performing laparoscopic surgery.

A colostomy may be recommended if the cancer is causing obstruction of the bowel tract or if a patient has a lower rectal cancer that requires muscles to be taken out that control continence. In those cases, an opening in the stomach (an ostomy) is created for the elimination of body waste.

“People do adapt,” Crane says. “I have lots of patients who have needed a colostomy and were all fearful and concerned before they got it, but they’ve adapted and figured out how to live with it and they’re successful and enjoying their lives.”

Advice for newly diagnosed

Mark Gershon, diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 48, is the president of the Dayton Ostomy Support Society. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Hospice of Dayton. The new Cancer Support Community in Kettering provides free educational programs for individuals with cancer, their caregivers and families. (www.cancersupportwesternohio.org)

“I would advise people to come and ask questions as soon as you are diagnosed so you have an idea of what the surgery and recovery is all about,” Gershon says.