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Michelle King Robson and Dr. John Garvie discuss the increased risk for colon cancer among African Americans.
Michelle King Robson:
I have a friend, 60 years old, fit, I mean just an amazing man and all of a sudden one day he started bleeding. He was on an airplane. Went to the doctor and he was diagnosed with stage-4. Thank goodness he is well. He survived. He got treatment, the course of treatment was, you know, it took a long time for him to go through radiation and chemotherapy and surgery and it had actually gone into his liver as well. But he has been symptom free for several years, three years I believe now, and it’s amazing that he had no idea, no clue that he was at higher risk because he was African American.
Dr. John Garvie:
I don’t think that’s been well publicized. I think he would be very, very, very typical of a man and his life story would be very typical and we wouldn’t know that, or he wouldn’t know that.
Michelle King Robson:
Do we see that with the African American women as well? Are they at greater risk too or is there . . . ?
Dr. John Garvie:
The risk seems to be related to African American males over females.
Michelle King Robson:
Okay. We just need to spread the word of how this is contracted and how you can manage it, how you can deal with it and catching it early enough.
Dr. John Garvie:
Exactly, and for those patients to know nothing to fear from an examination or biopsy, if required, and know that the curability of that disease is extremely high when diagnosed early stage.
Michelle King Robson:
So we want to make sure that you go and if you are having a problem that you get the screening that you need. If you need a biopsy, it’s better to go and do this than it is to sit and ponder and wonder whether or not this is something you potentially have, and that’s really the core message here is you need to get over the fear factor and just go in and get it done.
Watch Michelle's Story About Her Colonoscopy Experience
https://www.empowher.com/community/herstory/video-herstory-michelle-shares-her-colonoscopy-journey