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Don’t let colon cancer surprise you
Everyone over 50 should get screened
The most common symptom of
colon cancer is that there isn’t
one.
people follow simple guidelines
for screening for colorectal
cancer.1
People who are otherwise
healthy can develop polyps or
tumors that eventually become
cancer without ever experiencing
outward signs.
Studies show that a colonoscopy
is the most sensitive method for
detecting colon cancer.3
That’s why leading physicians’
groups and public health groups
all recommend that all people
over 50 – regardless of their
health – undergo screening for
colon cancer.1
When detected early, surgery
can be performed to remove the
affected tissue. Early stage colon
cancer has a 90 percent survival
rate.2
Half of those who will die from
colon cancer could be saved if
In this routine procedure, a
physician can look inside the
colon. It requires a short visit to a
physician’s office, outpatient
center or hospital. Patients are
sedated and often do not
remember the procedure.
Have confidence that if a
colonoscopy finds a problem,
there are treatment options
available. Advances in
technology have made it
possible for people who need
surgery for colon cancer to
undergo a minimally invasive
procedure.
1
These procedures offer patients:

a shorter recovery

less time in the hospital

less pain

less scarring

fewer complications
than open surgery.4, 5
As with any procedures,
colonoscopies and colon
surgeries may present risks. You
should consult your physician to
see what procedures are right for
you.
Learn more about colon cancer,
screening for it and its
treatments and become an
advocate for your health and the
health of your loved ones.
Visit www.smarterpatient.com for
more information.
American Cancer Society: Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures: Special Edition 2005. [Online] 11/21/07
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/content/STT_1x_Colorectal_Cancer_Facts_and_Figures_-_Special_Edition_2005.asp
2 Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ, Clegg L, Horner MJ, Howlader N, Eisner MP, Reichman M, Edwards
BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2004, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2004/,
based on November 2006 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2007.
3 Rockey D, Paulson E, Neidzwiecki D, et al. Analysis of air contrast barium enema, computed tomographic colonography, and
colonoscopy: prospective comparison. Lancet. 2004; 364(9462).
4 Roumm, A R, Pizzi, L, Goldfarb, NI, Cohn, H. Minimally Invasive, Minimally Reimbursed? An Examination of Six Laparoscopic Surgical
Procedures. Surg Innov. 2005; 12; 261.
5 Noel J, Fahrbach K, Estok R. Minimally invasive colorectal resection outcomes: short-term comparison with open procedure. J Am Coll
Surg. 2007; 204:291-307.
DSL #11-0243.NL © 2011 Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
Colon cancer doesn’t have to surprise you: Screening can save lives
Colon cancer is the second leading
cancer killer. But it is curable.
When colorectal cancer is found
early and treated, the survival rate
is 90 percent.1
Unfortunately, many people don’t
get screened when they should.
With some cancers, patients feel ill
and that leads them to a physician.
Colon cancer is different. There are
often no symptoms until the late
stages, when the disease is more
difficult to treat.2 That’s why it’s
important that everyone over 50 –
regardless of how they feel – be
screened.
While there are several screening
tests available for the detection of
colon cancer, studies show that a
colonoscopy is the most sensitive
method for detecting colon cancer.3
And cancer screening by this
method is considered the gold
standard by many because it allows
for screening, diagnosis and
removal of precancerous polyps in
one visit.4
The patient is sedated through an
IV and lies on his or her side in the
doctor’s office, an outpatient center
or a hospital. The sedation makes
the patient comfortable, and often,
patients do not remember the
procedure.
The physician, usually a gas inserts
a flexible tube with a tiny camera on
the end to look at the inside of the
colon. The procedure takes
between 15 and 30 minutes.
While a colonoscopy is an integral
screening tool for colon cancer,
physicians also use it to diagnose
many diseases of the colon.
Between 60 and 70 million
Americans have digestive
diseases5 that can be treated and
managed after diagnosis.
If during the procedure, the
physician sees a growth, or polyp,
he or she can remove it and study it
under a microscope for a complete
diagnosis. A polyp can be benign,
or not cancerous; precancerous; or
a cancerous tumor.
1
Have confidence that if your
colonoscopy reveals a problem,
there are effective treatments
available. If your physician
recommends surgery to treat a
colon disease, learn about your
options and consider a minimally
invasive procedure.
A minimally invasive colon surgery
offers patients a shorter recovery,
less time in the hospital, fewer
complications, less pain and less
scarring.6,7
Talk to your physician to learn if
you are a candidate for this type of
surgery.
As with any procedure, a
colonoscopy may present risks.
You should consult your physician
to see if this procedure is right for
you.
Learn more about screening and
treatment options for colon cancer
at www.smarterpatient.com.
Ries LAG, et al (eds.) Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2003. National Cancer Institute, 2006.
American Cancer Society: Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures: Special Edition 2005. [Online] 11/21/07
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/content/STT_1x_Colorectal_Cancer_Facts_and_Figures_-_Special_Edition_2005.asp
3
Rockey D, Paulson E, Neidzwiecki D, et al. Analysis of air contrast barium enema, computed tomographic colonography, and colonoscopy:
prospective comparison. Lancet. 2004; 364(9462).
4 Pignone M, Rich M, Teutsch SM, Berg AO, Lohr KN. Screening for colorectal cancer in adults at average risk: a summary of the evidence for
the US Preventative Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. Jul 16 2002;137(2):132-141.
5 Digestive diseases in the United States: Epidemiology and Impact – NIH Publication No. 94-1447.
6 Roumm, A R, Pizzi, L, Goldfarb, NI, Cohn, H. Minimally Invasive, Minimally Reimbursed? An Examination of Six Laparoscopic Surgical
Procedures. Surg Innov. 2005; 12; 261.
7 Noel J, Fahrbach K, Estok R. Minimally invasive colorectal resection outcomes: short-term comparison with open procedure. J Am Coll Surg.
2007; 204:291-307.
2
DSL #11-0243.NL © 2011 Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
If colon cancer surprises you: Do something
There are surgical options
Colon cancer, when detected early,
is one of the most curable cancers.1
Screening for colorectal cancer, with
a colonoscopy, is the best way to
look for this kind of cancer and find it
in the early stages, when it is most
treatable. Have confidence that if the
screening reveals a problem, there
are treatment options available.
Learn about the treatment options
for colon cancer and become an
advocate if you or a loved one is
diagnosed with this disease. If
surgery is a part of the treatment
plan, know that a minimally invasive
colon surgery may be an option.
For patients who have been
diagnosed with colon cancer,
treatment options vary by the stage
of colon cancer. In nearly all stages,
surgery is the primary or first
treatment. A surgeon will remove the
cancer along with a small length of
normal colon on either side of it. The
two ends are then sewn back
together.
may be a candidate for a minimally
invasive procedure.
Sometimes, nearby lymph nodes are
also removed, and the surgeon will
check other nearby organs for
disease. If the cancer has spread
beyond the tumor, radiation and
chemotherapy may also be used.
Studies have also shown that
minimally invasive colon surgery can
result in fewer complications.
Patients undergoing this type of
procedure have fewer wound
infections and fewer respiratory
complications than patients who
undergo open surgery.3
Most patients who require colon
surgery for colon cancer or other
colon diseases have surgical
options. Advancing technology has
made minimally invasive, also
known as laparoscopic, surgery an
option for colon surgery.
As with any surgical procedure,
colon surgery, whether performed as
an open procedure or as a minimally
invasive procedure, may present
risks. You should consult your
physician to see if minimally invasive
colon surgery is right for you.
Patients can take an active role in
making decisions about treatment
for colon cancer. Encourage the
ones you love to talk to their
physician about their options. They
Learn more about screening and
treatment options for colon cancer at
www.smarterpatient.com.
1
Ries LAG, et al (eds.) Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2003. National Cancer Institute, 2006.
Roumm, A R, Pizzi, L, Goldfarb, NI, Cohn, H. Minimally Invasive, Minimally Reimbursed? An Examination of Six Laparoscopic Surgical
Procedures. Surg Innov. 2005; 12; 261.
3 Noel J, Fahrbach K, Estok R. Minimally invasive colorectal resection outcomes: short-term comparison with open procedure. J Am Coll Surg.
2007; 204:291-307.
4 National Cancer Institute. Treatment Options for Colon Cancer [Online] 11/22/07.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/colon/Patient/page
2
DSL #11-0243.NL © 2011 Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.