Expert and researcher Dr. Aasma Shaukat explains why early screening is so powerful. Dr. Shaukat points out that colon cancer is one of the few cancers that can actually be prevented by detecting and removing polyps before they ever become cancer. Dr. Shaukat also highlights how today’s advanced tools, some enhanced by AI, make colonoscopy more effective than ever.
Dr. Aasma Shaukat is Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology and Director of Outcomes Research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Learn more about Dr. Shaukat.
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Transcript
Jamie Forward:
Dr. Shaukat, so what is the benefit of colon cancer screening? I’d like you to just speak to the power of early detection.
Dr. Aasma Shaukat:
Colon cancer is one of the few cancers that, if detected early, is completely preventable. So, it’s the only cancer where we have this precursor or pre-neoplastic or pre-cancerous growth that we can detect before it turns into cancer.
And detecting and removing these pre-cancerous growths, and even detecting early cancers, have been shown to reduce the risk of dying from colon cancer. The risk of developing late-stage colon cancer. And actually, the risk of dying prematurely, period. So, we can actually extend people’s lives by getting them screening, as recommended by guidelines. So, of all the things we can do in terms of preventative care, such as working on controlling our blood pressure, watching our diets, working on blood pressure and blood sugar control. Screening for colon cancer ranks perhaps as effective as any one of those interventions.
Jamie Forward:
Yeah, I think that’s just really important to point out. And so, if you do find a polyp or something during the colonoscopy, is it taken care of during the colonoscopy?
Dr. Aasma Shaukat:
Yes, absolutely. So, colonoscopy has become more sensitive. It’s higher def, it’s higher mag. So, we can see even extremely diminutive, very, very tiny polyps. As tiny as the tip of a lead pencil. And that’s some of the earliest stages. Now, fortunately, many of them will never progress, which is a good thing. But we don’t take any chances, and we take everything out that we see. And now with the use of AI, we’re able to see even more than we ever did before. So, I think it’s an extremely effective test and one that could really provide life-saving benefit.
Jamie Forward:
For some people, there’s a lot of anxiety around cancer screening in general. So, do you have advice for people that may be hesitant based on fear or emotions?
Dr. Aasma Shaukat:
That’s actually a really big fear. So, first, we kind of want to acknowledge that it’s okay, you’re not alone. People often wonder, “Is it just me?” And they don’t want to bring it up. But it’s actually very common. And nobody wants to kind of know about anything worrisome. Then there’s also the view of, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Like, if I don’t have any symptoms, why should I go looking for trouble? But the response to those concerns is, because you don’t have any symptoms right now, and the fact that you are average-risk, this is the right time to do these tests. Because they’ll actually confirm that you are not at risk, and you don’t need any workup for however much longer.
So, it actually extends that reassurance. And you don’t want to wait until symptoms or it’s too late, because then, again, the fear will only get worse. And the risk of a worrisome lesion only goes up. So, getting it early, particularly if you’re fearful, is the best way to get a good news checkmark that there’s nothing worrisome.