Gut Check: The Lifesaving Power of Colorectal Screening

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Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths but up to 90% of cases could be prevented through proper screening and early intervention.

• Colonoscopies are the gold standard for screening, allowing doctors to detect and remove precancerous polyps before they become dangerous
• Screening age has been lowered from 50 to 45 years for everyone, even without symptoms or family history
• Polyps are initially benign growths but can develop into cancer if left untreated
• Alternative screening options include Cologuard (stool DNA test), CT colonography, and FIT tests
• The preparation process is the most challenging part of a colonoscopy, not the procedure itself
• Gut health impacts overall wellness including immune function, nutrient processing, and more
• Cancer thrives in areas with rapidly growing cells, making the constantly-working gut vulnerable

If you need assistance accessing Cologuard or FIT tests, visit us at hamiltontelehealth.com, where we can guide you through your screening options.

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Episode Transcript

Nicole (00:07):
I go intro.

Kelli (00:09):
Yep, sure, good morning guys.
Welcome back to another episodeof tattoos and telehealth.
I am Kelli White and this is myfriend and great colleague,
nicole Baldwin, and we have someinformation today just about
screenings and things that youcan do regarding upkeep and
maintenance stuff that youshould be doing on your own.
So I am a big proponent ofpatients taking ownership of

(00:32):
their health, meaning I want youto do the things on your end
that you're supposed to be doing, we'll do the things on our end
that we're supposed to be doingand together we'll tackle this
beast that's called healthcareright.
And one of the things that isnear and dear to me especially
is rectal and colon cancer, andyou know there are a lot of

(00:54):
things that we can do on our ownto make sure that that's not
something that we have to faceonce it's too late, and
oftentimes that's something thathappens, it's found when it's
too late.
So I'm going to let Nicole takeoff and give us some
information about that, butfirst our lawyers make us say
that this podcast does notindicate medical advice.
This also does not indicatethat we have a patient provider

(01:15):
relationship.
This is just two girls thathappen to love tattoos, that
happen to love medicine and weenjoy talking to our patients
about all the things.
And, by the way, nicole, Ithink it's time for a new tattoo
.

Nicole (01:29):
You know what it is.
It is.
It is this one's about three orfour years old, this one's
about, probably about three.
So this one must be like more,like five.
It's time, it's been a minute,it's been a minute.

Kelli (01:44):
It's time my arm is completely healed, which you
know.
That just means it's time tounheal some flesh.

Nicole (01:50):
I love it.
I love it.

Kelli (01:52):
We'll got to do it.
And then our listeners can, youknow, see our new tats?
It'd be great.
I love it, I love it, I love it.
All right, so talk to us aboutcolorectal health screenings.
What's available?
I know there's some lessinvasive options out there for
patients.
I also know that the screeningages changed recently, like it
went from 50 to 45, I think.

Nicole (02:13):
It did, it did.
So, I just want to start withthis.
Sources estimate that 75 to 90%of cancer colon cancer cases
could be prevented.
90% of cancer, colon cancercases could be prevented.
So let's just sit on that for aminute.
Cancer is typically pain lessuntil it's huge, until it's huge

(02:34):
Right, and so when it starts topress on nerves and affect
other organs, then it becomespainful.
It can become painful, but alot of cases cancer itself is
not painful and so we don't knowthat.
We even have it a lot of timesuntil it's too late, and that's
why cancer is already stage two,stage three, stage four before
we find it right Because itgrows quietly.

(02:55):
But up to 90% of colon cancerscan be prevented with screenings
, and colonoscopies are the goldstandard and there are
non-invasive other options.
But what a colonoscopy does isit allows uh, gastrointestinal
doctors to examine the innerlining of your colon and the
rectum and it's, you know, useda very thin tube with a camera

(03:16):
at the end and they can take alook for precancerous polyps,
inflammation or bleeding.
They can.
They can find cancer,diverticulosis.
You know diverticulitis if it's, if it's flared up.
But when you have a polypDuring that colonoscopy your GI
doctor will typically takes themout.

(03:38):
And polyps in themselves at theearly stages are very benign.
It's like a mole, right, it'sjust, it's very benign, but it
can turn into cancer and soduring the colonoscopy they can
actually be taken out and it'scauterized.
So there's no bleeding andthere's no nerve endings on the

(04:00):
inside of the colon.
So you don't feel it, right,you don't.
You don't, you don't feel it,and that's why we don't feel the
polyps, we don't feel themgrowing, right, it's because we
don't have nerve endings on theinside of our lining.
So it doesn't whether they tooka polyp out, took 10 out, took
none out, you would be none thewiser, right?
But when they go in there andthey find polyps if you have

(04:21):
some they take them out, and sothey never have the chance to
grow into cancer Like it's, youknow, gone.
Now are polyps precancerouslesions, or are they benign or
what?
What are polyps?
So?
Polyps are little, think of,like little skin tags.
So polyps are little, um ballsof of fat, of lining, and they,

(04:46):
they they initially are not mostof the time, not um, cancerous,
they're benign.
But as they grow, the cellschange and cancer is abnormal
cell growth, and so it's whenthose cells start to be abnormal
, as they, as they get older, asthe polyps grow, that it turns
into cancer.
So them themselves are not.

(05:06):
But, like Kelli mentionedeveryone, it was the standard
for everyone if you're 50, youstart getting colonoscopies
every every 10 years, and thatwas recently reduced to 45, even
with no symptoms and no familyhistory.
And so if you have a familyhistory, um, or conditions like
irritable bowel disease, you mayeven need to start earlier.

(05:29):
So is so how often do I have todo it?
Every 10 years is standard.
However, most GI doctors, ifthey find a polyp, they'd like
you to come in every five years,and that's because you are.
If you, if you have polyps,then that automatically means
hey, you might have another one,right?
And so they want to go in assoon as possible and take them

(05:52):
out, and so it is important foryou to make sure that if you
have some type of history familyhistory, polyp history, because
you've had them before um, thatyou go back every, every every
five years.
So it's just it's proactivemedicine, right?
So during the procedure theprecancerous polyps can be
removed, stopping cancer beforeit starts Very, very proactive.

(06:15):
So it's very much similar tolike mammograms.
You go and, as women, we go andwe see if there's anything
small that can be seen and if so, we take it out before it gets
into the chest wall, before itgrows bigger, right.
So screenings are superimportant.
It's for prevention.
I would much rather find alittle polyp and take it out and

(06:40):
be done than have really put itoff until it's grown out of
control.
The GI doctor goes in, you goin for a screening and now
cancer is all over the place,and so it is super, super
important and I just want tostress the importance of these
screenings.
You're sedated, you won'tremember a thing.

(07:02):
It's you know.
Complications are very rare fora colonoscopy and the benefits
overall far outweigh the riskfor most people.
So if you won't do acolonoscopy because of whatever
reason, maybe you're even not acandidate for anesthesia.
There is stool dna, likecoligard.
Um, there's a ct colonographythat can be done.

(07:25):
There's a fecal um, it's calleda fit test.
Um, it's a fecal immunochemicaltest that you can do and these
are all you know.
Stool, the, the fit in the col,the color guard are DNA.
They'll look for polyps andlook for things, but there is a
higher error margin thanactually going in and looking
right.
It's kind of like you can get asnapshot of something on an

(07:47):
x-ray but there's nothing likegoing inside and taking a look
right.
There's things that can bemissed, and so those are options
that you know.
If either you can't do acolonoscopy, for whatever reason
, or you're like I ain't doingthat, um, that's okay.
But colorectal cancer is commonit's the second leading cause
of cancer deaths but verytreatable when caught early.

(08:09):
So screening is super, super,just it's a superhero move for
your health, for your colon, foryour rectum.
So, um, it is super important.
So if you're 45 or you have afamily history, make sure that
you schedule your colonoscopy.
Um, it really is not a big deal.
The biggest deal is the prepright.

(08:30):
The biggest deal is gettingyour colon clean.
It's you know.
Now it's much easier.
You can take pills instead of.
You know, every GI person hastheir, had, their own preference
, whether you drink the liquidor you take the pills, or
whatever the case may be.
That's the roughest part really,um, is cleaning out that colon,
and the importance of cleaningit out is so we can get a good
image, because nobody wants togo through all of this, go to

(08:53):
the procedure and then the GIdoctor look in and it's all
muddied up, if you know what Imean.
So, if they, if they're goingto, if you're going to go, if
you're going to do it, make sureyou're cleaned out good so they
can see what they need to see.
Um, cause if you're full ofpoop, you're not gonna be able
to see very much.
So, um, we just wanted to makesure we touched on that today.

(09:15):
There's a lot, a lot.
There's an increase in cancers.
There's this is just, it's sopreventable, it's so, so
preventable and treatable ifcaught in the earlier stages,
even before cancer.
So that's really what we wantedto touch on today and just to
let you know to go get it done.
It could truly save your life.

Kelli (09:34):
And if you don't do it for yourself, do it for your
family and those that love youWell and the other thing you
know to keep in mind is you guyshear me all the time harp on
gut health, gut health, guthealth.
There's a reason why coloncancer is so prevalent, guys
your gut is working all the time.
It never gets a break.
It does not get a break.
Its job is not just to breakdown and process food and let

(09:57):
you defecate it out.
That's not all it does.
It literally is the secondarypowerhouse next to your brain,
like it is doing big things,like it's controlling your
immune does.
It literally is the secondarypowerhouse next to your brain,
like it is doing big things,like it's controlling your
immune system.
It's taking care of yourelectrolytes and your minerals
and your protein and yournutrients, like it literally is
the power.
That's why there's so many gutsin there, like there's a lot to
do.
So it's constantly working andif it's not happy, you are not

(10:21):
happy and we're going to.
You know we're going to talklater about how your gut health
can affect your weight, how itcan affect your sleep, how it
can affect everything.
So you know, like Nicole said,colon cancer is preventable,
guys.
It is curable when caught early.
But it is so prevalent becauseit is working all the time.
And guys, cancer loves to be inan area where things are

(10:43):
constantly turning over, becausethat's what cancer is.
It is a rapidly abnormallygrowing cell and so if it can
live in an area where there arerapidly growing cells, it can
jump in, do the same and hide.
So that's why it's so incrediblyimportant for you guys to do
this and, like Nicole said,there are some less invasive
ways that you can take a quicklook.

(11:04):
Just know that if those testsare abnormal, we're going to
recommend you to go get thatcolonoscopy.
So let us know.
If you need any help gettingyour hands on the Cologuard or
the FIT test, we can guide youin the right direction.
Help you get those ordered, letus know.
But we definitely want you allto know what the guidelines are.
Like Nicole said, 45 now,definitely if you have a family

(11:25):
history, it could be sooner foryou.
So take care of your health,guys.
Take care of your guts, yep.

Nicole (11:29):
All right, guys, that's all we have for you today, Just
a quick snippet that could saveyour life.
So you can find us athamiltontelehealthcom if you
need anything from us, and we'llbe, we'll be happy to happy to
chat with you, happy to see you.
But today is just about littlethings you can do to save your
life.

Kelli (11:49):
Perfect, all right.
All right, guys, y'all takecare.
Bye.