Early testing can catch a Treatable Cancer

There were no signs or symptoms to suggest that Kathy Merrill needed a colonoscopy. After all, she had no pain or discomfort and she wasn’t in a high-risk group.

So naturally, a colonoscopy wasn’t on her mind until her doctor urged her to have the test following a routine physical.

Kathy was shocked at the results: She had colon cancer.

“Fortunately, my doctor gave me no chance to panic,” Kathy said. “They gave me the test results, explained what needed to be done, then took me to the hospital for surgery right away. It really helped that I didn’t have much time to think and worry about it.”

Kathy Merrill knows first-hand the value of a colonoscopy. The test caught her colon cancer early enough for doctors to remove it. She remains cancer-free seven years later.

Kathy, a Lancaster County resident, remained in the hospital for 10 days while she recovered from surgery. Considering that her life had been turned upside down, she said the experience was wonderful.

“My oncologist was very thorough and answered all of my questions,” she said. “They also had wonderful pain management, including an epidural for the first three days, which allowed me to be more mobile. That really helped with my recovery.”

Treating the cancer

When caught in time, colon cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, says G. Thomas O’Conor, Jr., MD, Interim Medical Director, Lancaster General Cancer Program, and member of Hematology/Oncology Physicians of Lancaster, a Lancaster General Medical Group practice.

“We have a 90% success rate with surgery when colon cancer is caught in the early stages,” Dr. O’Conor says. “Early detection is really the key. Very often there are no symptoms until it’s too late to treat.”

That’s one reason healthcare professionals recommend a colonoscopy when you turn 50—earlier if there’s a family history of cancer or other risk factors are present.

“I’ve had some patients who told me they’ve scheduled a colonoscopy on their 50th birthday,” Dr. O’Conor says. Unfortunately, many people put it off because they feel fine, are in a low risk group, or they simply dread the procedure.

A free Focus on Health seminar on "Colon Cancer --Early Detection & Prevention," will be held Wednesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Columbia Health Center, 306 N. 7th St., Columbia. Speakers will be Kathy Merrill and Mark H. Johnston, MD, of Lancaster Gastroenterology. Call (800) 341-2121 or visit www.LancasterGeneral.org/foh to register. Call your family doctor to schedule a colonoscopy.

Kathy says it’s not as bad as many people fear. “Honestly, the preparation is the worst part,” she says, referring to the need to fast and drink a special fluid that prepares the bowel for testing. “But there’s no pain at all, and it only takes about 10-15 minutes.”

“With the sedatives used, patients don’t feel any discomfort,” adds Dr. O’Conor.

Dr. O’Conor says colonoscopy is still the best way to catch colon cancer early. He recommends a colonoscopy every 10 years, along with an annual fecal occult blood test, to maintain good colon health.

Post-op treatment

Four weeks after surgery, Kathy began a six-cycle chemotherapy treatment. “It wasn’t fun,” she said. “By the fourth cycle I was feeling pretty sick from the chemo. Still, I was able to continue working through the whole thing. I wouldn’t let myself think negatively during my recovery.”

Not every colon cancer patient requires chemotherapy. If caught before it spreads through the bowel wall, chemotherapy is not necessary.

“Surgical techniques are better today,” Dr. O’Conor says. “And over the last five years, we’ve been using better, more effective chemotherapy treatment, which can target specific areas rather than the entire body, without many of the side effects.”

Kathy had a chest x-ray every six months for the first three years after surgery, and an annual colonoscopy for the first two years.

Seven years later, she’s cancer-free, but schedules regular colonoscopies and annual blood tests to stay ahead of any possible recurrence.

“I was so grateful to have such wonderful doctors on my side,” Kathy said. “Without a colonoscopy, my colon cancer probably would have gone undiagnosed.”