Now that I am facing surgery to address the silent and slow progression of my own colon cancer, I've come to realise the urgency of raising awareness about this often overlooked disease. It may take a colon polyp ten years to become cancerous but thereafter it can accelerate rapidly, making early intervention crucial.
There are a number of common symptoms which your doctor might think warrant your having a colonoscopy. These include changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool), blood in the stool (rectal bleeding), abdominal cramps, pain or bloating that won’t go away, unexplained weight loss that is sudden. Losing weight without trying, feeling constantly tired and lacking energy or, as in my case, iron deficiency anaemia due to chronic hidden bleeding from the tumour. Or none of the above. Colon cancer is often described as the silent killer because it often has no noticeable symptoms. As in my case it is often picked up by chance when you are being investigated for something which appears unrelated to cancer.
My own symptoms were fatigue and breathlessness. These were the only indicators of a potentially life-threatening condition lurking within.
Not many people like to talk about bowels, rectums and colons which is possibly why there seems to be so little awareness of the danger of colon cancer. This is tragic because whilst being one of the most curable cancers colon cancer remains the third most common cancers worldwide and is the second leading cause of death from cancer.
By sharing my story, I hope to inspire others to prioritise their health and undergo screenings without delay. Colon cancer should not be a death sentence; rather, it should serve as a rallying cry for proactive healthcare.
There is a widespread misconception that colon cancer only affects older individuals. However for whatever reason there has been a recent alarming trend in the rise of the number of younger people being diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Increasingly we are hearing of young celebrities and athletes dying from colon cancer. A recent example includes actor Chadwick Boseman who played King T’Challa in Black Panther. He was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 39 and died of colon cancer 4 years later in 2020 at only age 43. Colon cancer at 60 has become the new 45. Most colon cancer specialists around the world now recommend that colon cancer screenings should begin at age 45. In Germany they offer colon cancer screening for everyone from the age of 55 onwards.
The gold standard of screening, a colonoscopy, offers a comprehensive evaluation with lasting peace of mind if done once every 10 years. I found my own colonoscopy experience painless and brief, just like a rejuvenating afternoon nap. There was no discomfort and I won’t hesitate to repeat the check-up in a year’s time as a follow up to my current cancer treatment programme. I only wish I had had my own colonoscopy ten years ago.
I hope at least one of the readers of this article will avoid ever having to suffer from colon cancer having taken note of my own story. We have some of the best doctors in the world in Oman and I am in safe hands.
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