Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to Say Yes to Good Health, presented by Memorial Hospital. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Joining us is Dr. Bryan Ikeudenta. He's a primary care physician to discuss the importance of colon cancer screenings. Thank you so much for being here today.

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Thank you for having me. It is a pleasure.

Host: What exactly is colon cancer and how does it typically develop?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Colon cancer is actually an outgrowth that starts in the large intestine. Over time, it turns into a mass called a polyp. And usually, these polyps can be normal. But over, I'd say, about 10 or 15 years, growths can become a cancerous lesion.

Host: Are there early warning signs or is screening really the key?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: For early colon cancer, there's not usually any warning signs. Usually, signs present when the disease is more advanced, like blood in your stool, persistent changes to your bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, anemia. So with early colon cancer, screening is actually the key to detect these lesions before they become cancerous.

Host: And I believe they keep changing the age of when people should start getting screened for colon cancer? What's the current age?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: For average risk individuals, the screening starts at about 45. And then, if you have strong family risk factors or certain diseases, then we start even earlier than that. But what I would say is if you're younger and you feel something is off, do not ignore it and make an appointment to see your physician.

Host: Right. Better safe than sorry. It can't hurt. A lot of people fear the prep. I always tell my friends, it's nothing. You're making too big of a deal out of it. I have to tell you, both my parents had colon cancer. So, I've had to do a lot of them, just preventative. You know, I have tried every possible method there is. And then, I did a podcast on this and one doctor said she just used MiraLax for her patients. And I was like, "It's a miracle." And I did and it worked out fine. But for people who want to know, how bad is the prep would you say for your patients who ask you?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: I mean, I believe the prep is manageable and temporary. You usually use a laxative to kind of help clear your bowels so that when they do go in with the camera, they can better visualize the colon. But I think what's worse for most patients is the anticipation of the procedure. It's usually done under sedation about 20, 30 minutes. And most people don't even remember it. So, I would say a little sacrifice is good for a bigger reward.

Host: Right. And really, the biggest thing is you need to stay home the day before and not eat. How does screening help catch colon cancer early or even prevent it altogether?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Yes, of course. So with these screening modalities, like colonoscopies and all of that, it helps to detect precancerous lesions before they turn into a cancerous one, like a polyp. If they go in and they see a polyp that looks kind of funny, they'll snip it and take it out. And then, that effectively stops the progression to full out colon cancer.

Host: So when you do have polyps, like you said, they take them out. But I once read-- I was just wondering if this is accurate or not-- it takes like three to five years for a polyp to grow into cancer. Is that right?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: It depends on the kind of polyp. Each different type of polyp has different modes of growth and how they do grow. So usually, that's why, depending on your risk factors, we usually say to get a scan or colonoscopy every 10 years. But depending on your risk factors, we'll do every three to five years.

Host: How can lifestyle choices like diet and exercise impact colon health?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Oh yeah. So, colon health is greatly influenced by lifestyle. A diet that is high in fiber, low in processed meats, aerobic exercise, weight loss, obesity, stuff like that can definitely impact colon health and increase or decrease your risk for developing colon cancer.

Host: Does smoking affect colon cancer?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Yes. Smoking actually is a big risk factor for multiple types of cancers, including colon, lung, you name it. So, smoking is a very, very big risk factor for cancer.

Host: And what about drinking alcohol?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Alcohol is similar as well, increases the risk for different types of cancers, including colon, esophageal, liver. So, smoking and alcohol use are pretty big risk factors for developing cancer.

Host: Why is having a primary care provider so important when it comes to staying on track with screenings?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Sure. So a primary care provider kind of acts like the gatekeeper of medicine. Prevention starts with them. We can go over your risk factors, make sure all your maintenance, scheduling are done appropriately and evaluate symptoms further. And if we can't find any answers to your questions or any answers to what's going on, we help to get you to the people that can help us out as well. So, having a primary care provider is a big, big, big, step in primary prevention of certain types of cancers.

Host: So, Doctor, if somebody is listening and they're overdue, but they're nervous, what would you say to them? What would you want them to hear today out of everything we talked about?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: What I would say is prevention is better than cure. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. The first doctor's visit doesn't necessarily mean that we have to go over everything, you know, in one visit. But it's definitely okay to start the journey And we kind of change the pace and change what we need to do depending on what we discussed. But if you're overdue for any physical exam, any screening modalities, at least get in to be seen, have a discussion, and then we'll decide together what the best next step is for you.

Host: Is there anything else in closing that you'd like to add?

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: I would just say, you know, cancer is definitely developing especially among young individuals, especially colon cancer. So if something does feel off, even if the guidelines say age 45, if you're 30 or 25, 20 even, and you feel something is off, please schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor and get in to be seen, you know, as soon as possible.

Host: Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. This has been so informative and useful. We really appreciate your time.

Bryan Ikeudenta, MD: Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.

Host: Absolutely. Again, that's Dr. Bryan Ikeudenta. And if you'd like to find out more, please visit mhtlc.org. That's mhtlc.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks for listening to Yes to Good Health from Memorial Hospital.