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March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Intermountain Health is using a traveling giant 12-foot inflatable colon to raise awareness about colon cancer and the importance of screening and early detection.
Intermountain's "Let's Get to the Bottom of Colon Cancer " inflatable colon cancer exhibit has been traveling to hospitals in Utah and Idaho this month, bringing vital awareness about colon cancer and the importance of screenings for everyone.
Details of the rest of the tour
The inflatable colon tour began at St. George Regional Hospital on March 1. It has traveled throughout Utah, stopping at local hospitals across the state, and will end in Idaho on March 31.
The tour schedule can be found here.
This is an interactive opportunity for the public to see what the inside of a colon looks like! As people walk through the 12-foot, 113-pound inflatable colon, it depicts the different stages of colorectal cancer – educating patients about recommended screenings and raising awareness about how to prevent the disease."
–Dr. Nathan Merriman, medical director of gastroenterology and digestive health at Intermountain Health
"This is an interactive opportunity for the public to see what the inside of a colon looks like!" said Nathan Merriman, MD, medical director of gastroenterology and digestive health at Intermountain Health. "As people walk through the 12-foot, 113-pound inflatable colon, it depicts the different stages of colorectal cancer – educating patients about recommended screenings and raising awareness about how to prevent the disease."
The American Cancer Society estimates more than 153,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, making it the third-most common cancer diagnosed for men and women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
Why the inflatable colon is a conversation starter
"The giant inflatable colon is definitely a conversation starter. It illustrates how colon cancer develops from polyps and shows how physicians inspect a colon for cancerous polyps," said Christoph Woerlein, MD, a gastroenterologist at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. "It also drives home the point that prevention is the best strategy to beating cancer."
Woerlein also stressed that the goal is to get the public to take control of their health and realize that colon cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable when it's detected early.
The only way to detect colon cancer
Colon cancer is one of the most treatable cancers, but the only way to detect it is through screening. People with an average risk of colon cancer should start their screenings at age 45.
For most patients, a colonoscopy is then only needed once every 10 years, or once every five years if your doctor determines you have an increased risk of colon cancer. Earlier screening may be recommended for anyone with a family history of colon cancer.
Dustin Beasley, 42, of St. George, knows first-hand the importance of early screening. He got his first colonoscopy when he was 25, just a year after he lost his father who died from colon cancer at the young age of 52. His grandmother on his mother's side also died of colon cancer at 62.
Knowing he has a family history of colon cancer, which is one of the risk factors, Beasley now gets a colonoscopy every three to five years. He says one day of discomfort from the preparation saves pain down the road.
"I look at the alternative of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation and realize I don't need to fear the unknown," said Beasley.
A colonoscopy is the most effective method of screening for colon cancer, precancerous growths, and polyps. If an abnormal mass or polyp is identified, the physician will identify the best course of treatment which may include removing it during the procedure.
"Finding and removing precancerous growths during a colonoscopy can prevent cancer from developing," Merriman said. "Delays in screening could lead to a delayed cancer diagnosis. A screening can really save a life."
For more information on colonoscopies, click here.
