Janet did a quick blood test at work and found her hemoglobin level was well below the recommended level for average, healthy adults. Janet began to take iron supplements, assuming her low hemoglobin rate was responsible for her fatigue, all the while keeping it secret from her family.

Several months later, Janet finally saw her primary care physician and was referred for more tests. It wasn’t until Janet’s urologist ordered a computerized axial tomography scan, or CAT scan, that her physicians discovered a cancerous colon tumor.

Colorectal cancers are the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, with one out of every 18 people developing colorectal cancer in their lifetime and 57,000 people dying each year from the disease.² Studies show that in addition to the human toll, the economic cost of cancer is also high. In a recent study, the cost to treat all colorectal cancers was about $8.4 billion per year in the United States.³ Early detection of colon cancer through regular screening can save many lives and countless dollars.

Janet’s physician recommended a colonoscopy, which examines the inside walls of the colon with a slender, flexible, lighted instrument. Janet’s colonoscopy confirmed her physician’s suspicions that she had, indeed, developed a cancerous tumor. Another option used to screen for colon cancer is a “virtual” colonoscopy, which is conducted with an magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) machine and allows a physician to see the walls of the colon.

Janet and her doctor decided to follow the course prescribed for most patients with advanced cases of colon cancer — surgically removing the tumor.¹ In the past, most patients underwent traditional open surgery for colorectal cancer, typically requiring an invasive procedure with an incision up to 12 inches long, which would ultimately lead to a long and painful recovery. Because of advances in medical technology, today patients like Janet can have a laparoscopic or minimally invasive procedure with a series of small incisions, from ¼-inch to four inches long. These advancements offer patients less pain and scarring and a quicker recovery than with the traditional surgery.

Janet was out of the hospital in three days and back on her feet shortly thereafter. She was one of the lucky ones whose cancer was detected fairly early. Unfortunately, only 37 percent of colon cancer patients are diagnosed at the local stage before it has spread from the colon and rectum to the surrounding tissue. With widespread adoption of screening practices, as many as 30,000 lives could be saved each year.²

Death from colon cancer is preventable, and when detected early, there are minimally invasive treatment options that offer patients less pain, less scarring and a quicker return to normal activities than open surgery.

The primary tests for colon cancer are fecal occult blood tests (FOBT), the flexible-sigmoidoscopy test, the double-contrast barium enema and the colonoscopy. If polyps or suspicious lesions are found, they must be followed up with a colonoscopy, during which the suspicious growths may be removed.

While certainly life-saving, these screening techniques are also cost-effective in treating and preventing colorectal cancer. For example, studies on the FOBT have shown that periodic use of this screening method lowers the risk of death from colorectal cancer by 15 to 33 percent.^4,5 FOBT also has been responsible for a 20-percent decrease in the incidence of colon cancer by detecting large polyps, which can then be removed during colonoscopy.⁶ Compliance with screening recommendations would save nearly $200 million each year in the Unites States alone.⁷

After her surgery, Janet began chemotherapy treatments. It has been a year since she completed her treatments, and she is back to being herself again. Janet’s experience helped her decide to change her career path and become an operating room nurse. "I wanted to be a kind face for my patients before and after surgery and be there to hold their hand," Janet said. "Everything in your life happens for a reason—this was a gift for me to pay forward.”