Inspired by NY1 anchor Roma Torre, who was diagnosed with colon cancer after a routine screening, the news channel is taking a closer look at the disease throughout the month of March by telling Roma's story and the stories of many other New Yorkers whose lives have been impacted by this preventable disease. Health Reporter Erin Billups begins the coverage with a look at the numbers.
Fourteen-hundred New Yorkers will likely die from colon cancer this year. Dr. Mark Pochapin, head of Gastroenterology at NYU Langone Medical Center, says a big reason why is that to prevent the disease you have to get screened when you're well.
"It is one of the most preventable and the most curable of all cancers that we know of. The paradox is that it remains the number two cause of cancer related death," says Dr. Pochapin.
Tremendous strides have been made when the Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition or C-5 was established in 2003. That's when the screening rate in the city was just 42 percent. A decade later it's nearly 70 percent.
"It's been one of the biggest public health success stories that I've seen in my career. Over over the past 10 years we've had a 30 percent drop in the incidents of colorectal cancer. Which is unheard of in a deadly cancer like colorectal cancer," says Dr. Pochapin.
Also, you're no longer more likely to die of colon cancer if you're black, Hispanic or Asian. Racial and ethnic disparities that used to exist have been eliminated.
"It's an equal opportunity disease," says Dr. Pochapin.
Now the goal is to bring the city screening rate up to 80 percent.
The recommended method is a colonoscopy. While more invasive than other screening options it's also more thorough, which means you only need to be screened once every 10 years.
"If you find it as a polyp, you remove the polyp and prevent the cancer. If you find it as an early cancer, before it's actually broken through the wall of the colon, then by removing that, usually surgically, you can actually cure the patient," says Dr. Pochapin.
Those 50 and older - men and women - are equally at risk. And while you can get it without having a family history of the disease those with a family history of cancer need to be screened more often and earlier than 50.
"If you, or you know of someone in your family who has a polyp or colorectal cancer, you really have to discuss it with your family because it could have a life saving affect," says Dr. Pochapin.
For more information, visit nyc.gov/html/doh/html/living/cancer-colon.shtml and c5nyc.org.