Subject: March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

A group of Lansing area Black men is working to get African Americans in the community to talk with their doctors about colorectal cancer.

Dr. Kenya I. Sekoni, medical advisor for the Lansing Design Team of Improving Cancer Outcomes of African Americans in Michigan, urged members of Black Men Incorporated of Greater Lansing (BMIGL) to get screened for colorectal cancer during a presentation at the men's March meeting. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

The Lansing Design Team has put a special emphasis on colorectal cancer this year because African Americans have the highest death rate from colorectal cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related death in Michigan.

"We can reduce this disparity if we talk about it, increase our cancer awareness and knowledge, dispel the myths, and get screened," said Sheila Taylor, chair of the Lansing Design Team.

Dr. Sekoni told BMIGL members to check their family histories for relatives who had brain tumors, bone tumors or colorectal cancer. She told them to ask questions because an uncle's "stomach cancer" may in fact have been colorectal cancer. She said other risk factors include personal or family history of ulcerative colitis, obesity, low fiber/high fat diet, and lack of exercise. Anyone can get colorectal cancer because aging is the primary risk factor.

Dr. Kenya I. Sekoni (left) and Cleveland Henry, president of Black Men Inc. of Greater Lansing.

Appropriate screening can prevent colorectal cancer by allowing doctors to remove non-cancerous growths, called polyps, from the inner walls of the colon and rectum before they become cancerous. If the polyp has become cancerous, the five-year survival rate is 90% if it is detected at an early stage and the cancer has not spread beyond the colon or rectum.

Screening is essential because early colorectal cancer often has no symptoms. Immediate medical attention is warranted if you have blood in or on the stool, a change in bowel habits, stools that are narrower than usual, general stomach discomfort, frequent gas pains, or unexplained weight loss.

The Michigan Cancer Consortium recommends that men and women 50 years of age and older who are not at increased risk for colorectal cancer follow a screening schedule consisting of:

* A fecal occult blood test (testing for blood in the stool) every year OR
* Flexible sigmoidoscopy (a procedure to examine the lower portion of the colon) every 5 years OR
* A fecal occult blood test every year AND flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years OR
* A colonoscopy (a procedure to examine the entire colon) every 10 years OR
* A double contrast barium enema (an X-ray of the colon) every 5 years

Healthwise University at Ingham Regional Medical Center is offering its free annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening and colorectal cancer education program through April. Call 517 367-5159 or 877 224-4325 to register to have the test kit, including instructions and educational material, sent to your home. The tests that are mailed back to the hospital will be reviewed by a gastrointerologist.

If a fecal occult blood test is positive, Dr. Sekoni recommends a colonoscopy because the physician can examine the entire colon. If polyps are found, they can be removed during the examination.

"Don't Let Cancer Silence You" is the slogan of the Improving Cancer Outcomes of African Americans in Michigan initiative. The Michigan Department of Community Health funds the initiative through Faith Access to Community Economic Development (F.A.C.E.D.) in Flint. Groups of residents in five Michigan communities, called Design Teams, have launched interventions to address the unequal cancer burden among African Americans.

The Lansing Design Team is asking African Americans in the community to get screened and talk to five friends and family members to make sure they do the same. The Team developed Let's SCREEN (Seek ColoRectal Exams Everyone Needs) Calling Kits to provide colorectal cancer information and help guide the conversations.

For more information about Let's SCREEN or to join the Lansing Design Team, call 1-866-322-3301 and press 5 when prompted.