Sarah Kim is a freelance journalist and writer. She holds a B.A. in Political Economy from Barnard College, Columbia University and M.S. from Columbia Journalism School. Her master's thesis project chronicled the various ways the justice and healthcare systems failed domestic violence survivors with disabilities. Sarah herself lives with cerebral palsy.
Her journalistic work focuses on the intersectionality of race, socioeconomic status, culture/entertainment, and politics on people with disabilities, particularly women. Sarah has written for TIME, Forbes, Glamour, The Daily Beast, The Mighty, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, Columbia Journalism Review, and more. When she is not doing journalism, she works on a book in collaboration with Marcalee Alexander on sexuality and disability.
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Learn about what colonoscopies are, when and how to get them, and how they can help prevent colon cancer
Medically reviewed byDr. Robert Nagourney
Colorectal cancer — often called colon cancer — occurs when cells in the colon or rectum grow rapidly. The colon is also known as the large intestine or bowel. In the United States, colon cancer is one of the most common cancers. About 1 in 25 women (and 1 in 23 men) develop colon cancer during their lifetimes.
Abnormal growths — called polyps — develop in the colon or rectum. Some of these polyps may develop into cancer over time. Polyps can often be found using screening tests and removed before turning into cancer.
Colon cancer affects people of all racial and ethnic groups and is most often found in people who are age 50 or older.
In 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer at age 43, which brought important awareness to the fact that there has been a recent increase in the numbers of younger people getting colorectal cancer. Additionally, African Americans are 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and are 40% more likely to die from it than most racial groups.
This disparity is the result of many factors, but is often related to systemic racism, which impacts the social determinants of health—the nonmedical factors like housing and food that affect a person’s overall health:
Everyone without a family history of colorectal history should begin screenings at age 45. However, if you have certain risk factors, consult your healthcare provider (HCP) about getting screened earlier. The most common screening method for colon cancer is a colonoscopy.
In addition, if you have certain conditions, you may need to be tested younger and more frequently than other people.
These conditions include:
Factors that increase risk include:
Getting screened every five to 10 years can prevent most cases of colorectal cancer because screening allows precancerous polyps to be caught and removed early. Colorectal cancer can be treated when it’s found in early stages.
If you have one or more of the following symptoms, get tested immediately:
It is important to properly prepare for a colonoscopy because the colon needs to be as clean and clear as possible so the doctor can see all potential growths. If the colon is not clean, the doctor may not be able to get a clear view of any growths.
Another option is a screening test that checks your stool for signs of cancer. These tests are easier to have done and can be done at home, but need to be done more often than a colonoscopy (every one to three years instead of every 10 years for a colonoscopy). If your results are abnormal, you will need to have a colonoscopy as a follow-up. These tests can be used if you have an average risk of colorectal cancer. If you have any risk factors, such as previous polyps or a family history, a visual exam, such as a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, is the most effective screening process.
During a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, the doctor uses a long, thin, flexible, lighted tube to look for growths inside the rectum and colon. Most polyps and certain tumors can be found and removed during the exam. Most of the time, colonoscopies are done while you are sleeping (under sedation), and you will feel no pain.
Any polyps you have will be examined under a microscope to check for cancerous cells. Depending upon the results of the biopsy, your HCP will let you know when you need to return for further screening. If the test comes back clear, then you may not need to return for another 10 years.
This resource was created with support from Merck.
