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The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screenings
Colon cancer screenings are the best way to reduce colorectal cancer. Dr. Amit Sharma, Colorectal and General Surgeon at West Florida Medical Group, discusses the importance of colon cancer screenings.
Featuring:
Dr. Sharma earned his medical degree from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal and completed his residency training in General Surgery at Trivuwan University and Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He received a Colorectal Fellowship from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. Certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Dr. Sharma has published relating to the specialty of colorectal surgery. After completing his post-graduate training, Dr. Sharma joined a practice at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC) in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Sharma will see patients at the West Florida General Surgery practice located at 2130 E. Johnson Ave in Pensacola. For more information regarding Dr. Sharma, please call 850-494-3749 or visit westfloridamedicalgroup.com
Amit Sharma, MD
Amit Sharma, M.D., F.A.S.C.R.S., general surgeon, has joined West Florida Medical Group and the Medical Staff of West Florida Healthcare. Dr. Sharma’s practice will focus on all types of general surgery with a special interest in laparoscopic and robotic surgery for the treatment of colon and rectal cancer, diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease.Dr. Sharma earned his medical degree from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal and completed his residency training in General Surgery at Trivuwan University and Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He received a Colorectal Fellowship from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. Certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Dr. Sharma has published relating to the specialty of colorectal surgery. After completing his post-graduate training, Dr. Sharma joined a practice at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC) in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Sharma will see patients at the West Florida General Surgery practice located at 2130 E. Johnson Ave in Pensacola. For more information regarding Dr. Sharma, please call 850-494-3749 or visit westfloridamedicalgroup.com
Transcription:
Prakash Chandran (Host): Many people are too embarrassed or fearful to discuss colon cancer with their family or doctor. But regular screenings are one of the most powerful weapons for preventing it. we’re going to talk about it today with Dr. Amit Sharma, a Colorectal Surgeon at West Florida Medical Group General Surgery.
This is Helmet of Health, the podcast from West Florida Healthcare. I’m Prakash Chandran. So, Dr. Sharma, let’s start with the basics here. What exactly is colorectal cancer?
Amit Sharma, MD (Guest): Colorectal cancer is a cancer of the large bowel and the rectum. Basically, in the body there is the small bowel, stomach, small bowel and the large bowel. So, if there is cancer happens in the large bowel and the rectum, that’s called colorectal cancer.
Host: Okay, I see. So, what are the symptoms that someone might experience when they have this cancer?
Dr. Sharma: Unfortunately there may not be any symptoms. That’s why there is the importance of screening colonoscopy. Some people may present with bleeding per rectum. Some people may have abdominal pain. Some people may have unexplained weightloss. Those are the symptoms of colorectal cancer. But sometimes it can grow even without any symptoms for a considerable amount of time.
Host: Yeah, I’ve heard that more often than not, it doesn’t actually express any symptoms so, that’s why it’s so important to be proactive about screening and that screening mechanism is called a colonoscopy, right?
Dr. Sharma: At this point, gold standard is colonoscopy. Some people may opt for blood in the stool test, but the gold standard is screening colonoscopy where we put the pipe through the anus all the way up to the colon and examine it well for any polyps or any cancer.
Host: So, who should be proactive in getting a colonoscopy screening and what age does that need to happen?
Dr. Sharma: So, recommendations is everyone should get colonoscopy. For the general population, it should start at 50, although our society and GI society are trying to get it at 45 rather than 50 because we are seeing more and more colorectal cancer in younger age group. But right now, it should start at age 50 for general population. If there is family history of colorectal cancers or polyps; it should start at age 40 or ten years earlier than when family member was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And if somebody has history of Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, if somebody has history of certain family genetic syndrome like FAP, then it should start even earlier than 40 years.
Host: And once you get a colonoscopy, how often do they need to keep getting screened?
Dr. Sharma: If there is no family history of colorectal cancers or polyps and if colonoscopy is normal; then they should come back in ten years. Now if somebody – we find polyps during the colonoscopy; generally we will wait five years but depending upon how many polyps the patient has and how big is the polyps; they may need to come back even earlier than that. But normal colonoscopy and there is no family history of colorectal cancer or polyps; then it will be ten years.
Host: And so, let’s talk briefly about when a polyp is found; what is the process like? It sounds like some polyps are a little bit more dangerous than others. So, talk a little bit about what happens when you find it and what the treatment option looks like.
Dr. Sharma: When we do the colonoscopy, we look for the polyp. Generally they are small. We either remove with forceps or sometimes we do need to snare it if it’s a little bit big. Now if somebody has a really big polyp, that means surgery because we cannot remove it at that time. Because there is risk of perforation. But most of the polyps, we can remove it right at the time of colonoscopy when the patient is sleeping. So, we are trained to look for polyps which is the elevation in the bowel wall and it’s not a cancer, but it can turn into the cancer in the long term. It can keep on growing and can turn into the cancer. That’s why we remove the polyp. Now we have means to remove the polyp as long as it’s not very big sized and once we remove the polyp, we send it to histopathological examination for pathologist to look at the polyp and they will tell us what kind of polyp is it and if there is any cancer or not in that polyp. So, after that, we recommend next schedule for colonoscopy, which is most of the time, five years if somebody has polyps.
Host: And just in wrapping up here, is there anything that people can do to prevent the onset of colorectal cancer such as diet or lifestyle choices?
Dr. Sharma: Definitely it helps, but the main reason people get colon cancer is genetic so sometimes it cannot be changed like a family history of colorectal cancers or polyps. So, if somebody has that history, they need to be proactive and then get their colonoscopy at age 40 rather than waiting until 50. But there are some other modifiable factors like smoking has increased risk of colon cancer, not only colon cancer but any kind of cancer as well as obesity; they are associated with a higher risk of colon cancer. Active lifestyle, that reduces the incidence of colon cancer.
Host: All right Dr. Sharma, well I truly appreciate your time today. I think what I’m hearing from you is really maintain that healthy weight, don’t smoke and be very proactive in getting that colonoscopy especially if there is a history in your family typically ten years before your family member had gotten it. So, thanks again. That’s Dr. Amit Sharma, a Colorectal Surgeon at West Florida Medical Group General Surgery. Thanks for checking out this episode of Helmet of Health. Call 850-494-3749 or head to www.westfloridamedicalgroup.com to get connected with a provider. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks and we’ll talk next time.
Prakash Chandran (Host): Many people are too embarrassed or fearful to discuss colon cancer with their family or doctor. But regular screenings are one of the most powerful weapons for preventing it. we’re going to talk about it today with Dr. Amit Sharma, a Colorectal Surgeon at West Florida Medical Group General Surgery.
This is Helmet of Health, the podcast from West Florida Healthcare. I’m Prakash Chandran. So, Dr. Sharma, let’s start with the basics here. What exactly is colorectal cancer?
Amit Sharma, MD (Guest): Colorectal cancer is a cancer of the large bowel and the rectum. Basically, in the body there is the small bowel, stomach, small bowel and the large bowel. So, if there is cancer happens in the large bowel and the rectum, that’s called colorectal cancer.
Host: Okay, I see. So, what are the symptoms that someone might experience when they have this cancer?
Dr. Sharma: Unfortunately there may not be any symptoms. That’s why there is the importance of screening colonoscopy. Some people may present with bleeding per rectum. Some people may have abdominal pain. Some people may have unexplained weightloss. Those are the symptoms of colorectal cancer. But sometimes it can grow even without any symptoms for a considerable amount of time.
Host: Yeah, I’ve heard that more often than not, it doesn’t actually express any symptoms so, that’s why it’s so important to be proactive about screening and that screening mechanism is called a colonoscopy, right?
Dr. Sharma: At this point, gold standard is colonoscopy. Some people may opt for blood in the stool test, but the gold standard is screening colonoscopy where we put the pipe through the anus all the way up to the colon and examine it well for any polyps or any cancer.
Host: So, who should be proactive in getting a colonoscopy screening and what age does that need to happen?
Dr. Sharma: So, recommendations is everyone should get colonoscopy. For the general population, it should start at 50, although our society and GI society are trying to get it at 45 rather than 50 because we are seeing more and more colorectal cancer in younger age group. But right now, it should start at age 50 for general population. If there is family history of colorectal cancers or polyps; it should start at age 40 or ten years earlier than when family member was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. And if somebody has history of Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, if somebody has history of certain family genetic syndrome like FAP, then it should start even earlier than 40 years.
Host: And once you get a colonoscopy, how often do they need to keep getting screened?
Dr. Sharma: If there is no family history of colorectal cancers or polyps and if colonoscopy is normal; then they should come back in ten years. Now if somebody – we find polyps during the colonoscopy; generally we will wait five years but depending upon how many polyps the patient has and how big is the polyps; they may need to come back even earlier than that. But normal colonoscopy and there is no family history of colorectal cancer or polyps; then it will be ten years.
Host: And so, let’s talk briefly about when a polyp is found; what is the process like? It sounds like some polyps are a little bit more dangerous than others. So, talk a little bit about what happens when you find it and what the treatment option looks like.
Dr. Sharma: When we do the colonoscopy, we look for the polyp. Generally they are small. We either remove with forceps or sometimes we do need to snare it if it’s a little bit big. Now if somebody has a really big polyp, that means surgery because we cannot remove it at that time. Because there is risk of perforation. But most of the polyps, we can remove it right at the time of colonoscopy when the patient is sleeping. So, we are trained to look for polyps which is the elevation in the bowel wall and it’s not a cancer, but it can turn into the cancer in the long term. It can keep on growing and can turn into the cancer. That’s why we remove the polyp. Now we have means to remove the polyp as long as it’s not very big sized and once we remove the polyp, we send it to histopathological examination for pathologist to look at the polyp and they will tell us what kind of polyp is it and if there is any cancer or not in that polyp. So, after that, we recommend next schedule for colonoscopy, which is most of the time, five years if somebody has polyps.
Host: And just in wrapping up here, is there anything that people can do to prevent the onset of colorectal cancer such as diet or lifestyle choices?
Dr. Sharma: Definitely it helps, but the main reason people get colon cancer is genetic so sometimes it cannot be changed like a family history of colorectal cancers or polyps. So, if somebody has that history, they need to be proactive and then get their colonoscopy at age 40 rather than waiting until 50. But there are some other modifiable factors like smoking has increased risk of colon cancer, not only colon cancer but any kind of cancer as well as obesity; they are associated with a higher risk of colon cancer. Active lifestyle, that reduces the incidence of colon cancer.
Host: All right Dr. Sharma, well I truly appreciate your time today. I think what I’m hearing from you is really maintain that healthy weight, don’t smoke and be very proactive in getting that colonoscopy especially if there is a history in your family typically ten years before your family member had gotten it. So, thanks again. That’s Dr. Amit Sharma, a Colorectal Surgeon at West Florida Medical Group General Surgery. Thanks for checking out this episode of Helmet of Health. Call 850-494-3749 or head to www.westfloridamedicalgroup.com to get connected with a provider. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks and we’ll talk next time.