One Appointment. One Test. One Life Changed.

When Gary Edwards was in his early 60s, he was like many people who rarely saw a doctor. "If I had a cold, I'd go,"he recalled. "But I never did any of those preventive tests. I figured the more you take your car to the mechanic, the more you have to take your car to the mechanic."

That changed in 2017 when he began feeling unusually tired and sluggish. A visit to his primary care provider revealed diabetes and high blood pressure. Because he had never undergone routine screenings, his physicians recommended several tests - including his very first colonoscopy. That decision may have saved his life. The colonoscopy detected colon cancer before Edwards had experienced any warning signs. Today, nearly a decade later, Edwards is cancer-free.

"I really am glad I went," he said. "I don't think I'd be here today if they hadn't found it".

According to Christian Chung, MD, a gastroenterologist with Cape Fear Valley Gastroenterology - Quiet Cove, colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can actually be prevented. "Most colon cancers develop slowly from precancerous polyps over 10 to 15 years," Dr. Chung said. "This gives us tremendous opportunity to detect and remove precancerous polyps before they become invasive cancer. By finding and removing these polyps during a colonoscopy, we can stop cancer before it ever develops. That's why screening is so important." Unlike many cancer screenings that simply detect disease, colonoscopy can both find and remove precancerous polyps during the same procedure. "Colonoscopy is the gold standard because it is the most accurate test for detecting colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps," Dr. Chung said. "It combines diagnosis and treatment in one examination."

Other screening options, including annual FIT stool tests, stool DNA testing every three years and CT colonography every five years, are effective for many patients. However, any abnormal result from those tests requires a follow-up colonoscopу.

For average-risk adults, Dr. Chung recommends beginning colorectal cancer screening at age 45-even for those who feel perfectly healthy. Edwards underwent surgery to remove the cancer and has remained free of colon cancer ever since.

Symptoms Should Never Be Ignored

While screening is recommended for adults beginning at age 45, Dr. Chung says anyone experiencing concerning symptoms should seek medical attention sooner. Symptoms that should never be ignored include:

• Rectal bleeding
• Blood in the stool
• Persistent changes in bowel habits
• Unexplained weight loss
• Ongoing abdominal pain
• Iron deficiency anemia

"Too often, especially in younger adults, these symptoms are attributed to hemorrhoids or stress," Dr. Chung said. "It's important to get evaluated rather than make assumptions." Although overall colorectal cancer rates have declined because of screening, doctors are seeing an alarming increase in cases among younger adults. "In the United States, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related death in men younger than 50 and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women younger than 50, after breast cancer," Dr. Chung said.

He encourages younger adults not to dismiss symptoms simply becattse they think they're too young for colon cancer. Lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Dr. Chung recommends maintaining a healthy weight; exercising regularly; eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber;limiting processed and red meats; avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol. "But even people who live healthy lifestyles should still be screened," he said.

After his diagnosis, Edwards completely changed his eating habits to better manage his diabetes and improve his health.

"I feel better now than I have in a long time," he said. Fear of the procedure itself keeps many people from scheduling a colonoscopy, but Dr. Chung says those fears are often misplaced.

"The biggest misconception is that colonoscopy is painful or something to fear," he said. "Patients are comfortably sedated and usually remember very little, if anything, about the procedure."

He also notes that today's bowel preparations are much easier than in years past, with several low-volume options available that are much easier and more tolerable than the old gallonsized preps from years past. "Most patients tell me afterward, 'That was much easier than I expected."

Prevention Is the Best Treatment

When colorectal cancer is detected before it spreads, the outlook is excellent. The five-year survival rate exceeds 90% for cancers found at an early stage. "Our primary role is prevention," Dr. Chung said.

"We perform screening colonoscopies, remove precancerous polyps, evaluate symptoms and work closely with surgeons, oncologists and primary care providers to coordinate treatment." He often tells patients, "You do the cleaning, we do the screening."

For Edwards, the message is simple. "I would tell anybody to go get checked," he said. "It might take a little time, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Knowing what I know now, I certainly would have done it sooner."

His experience is proof that one routine screening can make all the difference - not just by finding cancer early, but by preventing it altogether. To learn more about colon cancer, visit capefearvalley.com/cancer.