Colon surgeon: what you should always do to prevent colon cancer

A colorectal cancer doctor is taking a chance on your family business.

Dr. Parul Shukla, a colon and rectal surgeon with Northwell Health, said there is one key piece of advice he always gives patients when it comes to preventing colorectal cancer.

And while it might be a little uncomfortable, it’s certainly less than having parts of your intestine surgically removed.

The recommendation from the US Prevention Task Force is to start colorectal cancer screening – ie, colonoscopy – at age 45.

But if you have a family history, this age can drop. However, because so many people do not discuss their medical history with their families, a person may not know if they should be tested sooner.

“[This has] has always been one of my requests to people: Please don’t be ashamed to discuss the findings of your colonoscopy with your children or siblings because it could save a life,” said Dr. Thumbs up to The Post.

You should also ask your follow-up doctor questions. If, for example, you have removed a polyp, Dr. Shukla wants to find out if it was an adenoma – a pre-cancerous polyp – and what size it was.

“If my father had an advanced adenoma, I should have known about it because that would have meant that I would have had to be screened at least five or 10 years earlier than the screening age, because that history is so strong that you had a cancer,” he added.

“Please don’t be shy about letting them know. If you don’t mind, tell them this is what I have and I think it will affect your screening age.”

This guidance is particularly important for catching early-onset colorectal cancer, which occurs before the age of 50. This has been on the rise, increasing by 1.4% each year and hampering health professionals.

And while colorectal cancer is generally more common in men, that’s not true for early onset.

“In fact, the data is quite shocking. You will be surprised to hear, under the age of 50, women are getting colorectal cancer at a higher rate compared to men,” said the doctor.

“It’s actually increased the rate… so it’s a scary statistic, but unfortunately, in the younger age group, women are getting more colorectal cancer than men.”

If you’re really unsure about having a colonoscopy, there are other ways to check, including a stool test or a Cologuard.

“They’re not as good as a colonoscopy, especially because if it’s positive, you have the colonoscopy again to remove the polyp. But you know, the real message is, please check yourself.”

The doctor previously detailed the warning signs that could indicate you have colon cancer, as well as the “scary” truth for young people who get it: they often have no symptoms at all.