Sharpe: March is the time for potty talk

“For Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Colon Cancer Coalition invites the country to Talk Sh!t to save lives.”

Clearly, this headline and campaign from the Colon Cancer Coalition and BeautifulBeast is attention-grabbing.

At www.TalkingShitSavesLives.org, several animated pieces of poo resembling long-lost cousins of South Park’s Mr. Hanky urge talking to your doctor about your bowel movements because “your sh-t can tell if you are sick.”

Bluntness aside, we need to hear this important message and raise awareness of the symptoms that everyone should know and bring to their doctor’s attention.

According to the Colon Cancer Coalition, blood in your stool or changes in your bathroom habits, feeling bloated constantly, constantly feeling fatigued, unexplained weight loss or persistent cramping – any of these, or being over the age of 45, warrants discussion with a medical professional.

(Wait? Age 45? I thought it was 50!)

In May 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force changed its colorectal cancer screening recommendation for adults at average risk of getting colorectal cancer from 50 to 45.

(I had no idea – I’m noncompliant.)

The American Cancer Society recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45, either with a test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool or with an exam that looks at the colon and rectum.

Neither of these critically important tests are pleasant. Collecting a stool sample is reminiscent of changing baby diapers but in adult-sized portions. Prepping for a colonoscopy is about starvation and evacuation – at least a day spent hungry and close to the bathroom.

Many people avoid the topic altogether. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 19.9% of adults aged 50 to 75 had never been screened for colorectal cancer in 2020.

According to a StopColonCancerNow survey asking at-risk participants of why they’re avoiding a colonoscopy, 28% feel it’s not necessary, 20% dislike the procedure, 15% rely on other methods to avoid colon cancer, 6% don’t know they were supposed to get one, and 6% are too busy.

(Add ignorant about screening age to this list, please.)

There are also economic factors. TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks) recently reported that 13% of workers in the United States said inflation is causing them to cut back on health-related expenses, such as out-of-pocket health services, glasses and gym memberships.

The coalition reports that colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Each year, it claims more than 53,500 lives. One in 24 people develop colon cancer, and an estimated 145,000 men and women will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year alone. However, found in its earliest stages, colon cancer is survived by almost 90% of patients.

One excuse I haven’t found data on – the current health care challenges in America.

The coalition reports that COVID-19–related reductions in care including colorectal cancer screenings resulted in an estimated 1.2 million to 2 million fewer CRC screenings, 8,346 to 12,894 fewer CRC diagnoses, and 6,113 to 9,301 fewer early-stage colorectal cancer diagnoses between 2020 and 2023.

Everything from scheduling appointments to the waiting-room experience to pre-op protocols has become more difficult. Need to fill a prescription? It’s a circus act.

Increased awareness and urging people to talk to their doctors will help, but it is only part of the solution.

We need advocates in government doing their part to improve patients’ access to healthcare and making it easier for healthcare providers to do their jobs. Overworked, exhausted and underpaid medical professionals need to have the time to listen to their patients.

Someone needs to step up and change our system.

This month, we all need to think about our colorectal health, and we need to talk to our doctors.

(Including me.)

It’s important to encourage people to talk to their doctors, but it’s a two-way street. We also need doctors with the time and bandwidth to see patients and listen closely.

Our system, most often driven by insurance rules and rates, dictates how well doctors can do their jobs – how much time they can spend with patients and listen to their concerns. It’s a broken system – who will fix it?

Jennifer Sharpe is deputy editor of The Journal Record, a division of BridgeTower Media

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