Preview of the Colorectal Cancer Podcast

[00:00:00] I was having symptoms of abdominal pain, bright red blood in my stool, fatigue. I just really

[00:00:09] thought that it was just something acute, something annoying, but the pain started

[00:00:15] get worse. Thanks for listening to this preview of

[00:00:19] the Colorectal Cancer Podcast, Part of the Health Unmuted Audio Library by Mission-Based

[00:00:24] Media. In the US, Colorectal Cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer and

[00:00:29] the second deadliest, but routine screenings and early diagnosis can prevent, treat, and

[00:00:35] beat it. In the Colorectal Cancer Podcast, we hear from medical experts and people with

[00:00:39] lived experience to engage, educate, and empower listeners. We need your help getting the

[00:00:45] show out to the millions of people affected by colorectal cancer. To learn more about how

[00:00:49] you can be involved, visit healthunmuted.com or drop us a line at infoathealthunmuted.com.

[00:00:57] You may have heard colorectal cancer referred to as colon cancer, although they're slightly

[00:01:01] different. So in the first episode of the series, we explain exactly what colorectal cancer

[00:01:06] is. Cancer can affect any part of the GI system so you can have this suffigial cancer, stomach

[00:01:12] cancer, small bowel cancers, liver cancers. So when we talk about colon cancer, colorectal

[00:01:18] cancer is really the large intestine that we're talking about specifically. The large intestine

[00:01:23] is made up of a little pouch called the CSIM, as well as the colon, rectum, and anal canal.

[00:01:29] We'll also hear about the signs and symptoms that something's gone wrong. Blood from your

[00:01:35] bottom, abdominal pain, a lump in the tummy, unintentional unexplained weight loss.

[00:01:41] Though symptoms can vary from person to person.

[00:01:44] The symptomatology of colorectal cancer directly relates to how advanced the cancer is,

[00:01:51] and so people who have more advanced stages of the cancer are more likely to experience

[00:01:56] symptoms. Also in episode one, we learn about risk factors for developing colorectal

[00:02:01] cancer in the first place.

[00:02:03] A low fiber diet, high in red and processed meats and ultra processed foods, genetic mutations

[00:02:12] and genetic syndromes. Smoking is a risk factor, obesity is a risk factor.

[00:02:19] Solar screening is key to preventing colorectal cancer and detecting it early. Current guidance

[00:02:24] suggests that it should begin at an even younger age than previously recommended.

[00:02:29] Historically, colonoscopy has been regarded as the gold standard because there's both diagnostic

[00:02:33] and potentially therapeutic. The current GI society agree that 45 is now the age to start

[00:02:40] screening for colorectal cancer.

[00:02:43] So in episode two, we talk about diagnosis including the tools available today and the emotional

[00:02:49] impact of hearing the words you have cancer.

[00:02:52] The GI, once he got the colonoscopy going and he got the scope in there, he encountered

[00:02:58] a tumor so large in my rectum that he had to abort the procedure.

[00:03:03] I looked at the screen and he put in the colonoscope and I saw the cancer and I looked

[00:03:08] at him and his eyes came up and he looked at me and in that second I knew and the whole

[00:03:15] world changed.

[00:03:17] The treatment for colorectal cancer depends on several factors and it usually involves

[00:03:21] surgery.

[00:03:23] If the cancer is localized, we've caught it early, then localized resection, we're able

[00:03:29] to just take out the tumor and it shouldn't have spread anywhere else.

[00:03:34] Depending on how advanced the cancer is, patients may also need to undergo chemotherapy

[00:03:38] and radiation.

[00:03:40] The treatment was harsh. You go to chemo all day, you're there from nine in the morning

[00:03:46] until two o'clock in the afternoon.

[00:03:48] There are these newer therapies like immunotherapy that we can use that look for specific mutations

[00:03:55] in the patient's tumor type.

[00:03:57] In later episodes, we also talk about lifestyle changes that can help survivors and people

[00:04:02] living with cancer stay as healthy as possible.

[00:04:05] I sat with the oncologist and he said that exercising regularly would decrease my risk

[00:04:12] of recurrence as much as the chemotherapy would.

[00:04:16] I was already eating healthy and I changed my diet to give my body more fuel to fight

[00:04:21] both the cancer and the chemo.

[00:04:24] Cancer can feel like a lonely journey, so throughout this mini series we not only share real-life

[00:04:29] stories from survivors and expert information, we also provide resources to get additional

[00:04:34] support that may help you or someone you love.

[00:04:38] There are some excellent advocacy organizations and support groups.

[00:04:43] I definitely felt the unfairness of it all and I wanted to know I wasn't alone in this

[00:04:49] and I'm not and if you're listening to this, know that you are not alone.