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Why Fit Testing is Important

 


The world was shocked with the news of the passing of Chadwick Boseman, the extraordinary actor who played pivotal roles like Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and most notably, T’Challa in the Black Panther.

Boseman was a beacon of light to the African American community and a picture of perfect health to those outside of his inner circle. The news that someone so vibrant and seemingly healthy could die so young has shaken the world to the core. 

No one knew he was sick. In fact, in the months leading up to his death, his recent weight loss brought so much bullying and ridicule that he was forced to delete pictures and turn off comments from his Instagram account.

As we now know, Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. He never spoke of his battle with the deadly disease publicly. He succumbed to the disease at the young age of 43. His passing has left many of us with so many questions.

How could someone so healthy have such a deadly disease as colon cancer? Doesn’t colon cancer affect older individuals? What are the symptoms of colon cancer? Am I at risk?

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States [1]. In 2017, the latest year in which data of new cases of colon cancer has been collected, 141,425 new cases of colon and rectal cancer was diagnosed with 52,547 cases resulting in death [2]. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be almost 148,000 new cases of colorectal cancer with over 53,000 deaths for the year 2020.

Colon cancer tends to affect more males than females with a 4.4% increase in chance of developing colon cancer for males over a life time. Blacks tend to be more affected by colon cancer than Whites with data suggesting that Hispanics are least affected [3]. Obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol use, and age over 50 tend to be the most common risk factors for developing colon cancer [4].

While the average age of those diagnosed with colon cancer has traditionally been over 55 years of age, it has steadily been increasing in those under 55 years old by approximately 2% each year [5]. 

Symptoms of colon cancer include changes in bowel movements, abdominal discomfort, a sensation of the bowels never being quite empty, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and blood in the stool [6].

Colon cancer symptoms alone can be vague and confusing. Often fatigue can be associated with lack of sleep or stress. Changes in bowel movements could be attributed to a change in diet or physical activity. Unexplained weight loss is usually a sign of advanced cancer and blood in the stool might not be detected by the naked eye.

How then can it be determined whether or not colon cancer might be the cause of these often vague symptoms?

FIT testing. FIT testing, also known as, fecal immunochemical test, is a noninvasive screening test for colon cancer. It tests for hidden blood in the stool which is blood that can’t be seen with the naked eye.

The FIT test only detects human blood from the lower intestines. This makes it an ideal screening tool for early colon cancer because it doesn’t react with foods or medicine allowing for less false positives and more accuracy than other tests [7].

Another benefit of FIT testing is that it is painless and doesn’t require sedation unlike a colonoscopy. In fact, there is no discomfort with administering the FIT test or any special preparation that needs to be done for this test to be performed. All that is needed is the collection of a simple stool sample which would then be analyzed by a lab.

Clearly, the fecal immunochemical test, FIT, is a safe and powerful screening tool for early detection in the fight against colon cancer.

It should be noted that FIT testing does not prevent colon cancer but acts as an effective screening tool to detect an early sign of colon cancer which can greatly improve chances of survival if colon cancer is found to be present. In fact, if colon cancer is detected early, there is a 90% chance of survival for 5 years after the diagnosis versus a 14% chance of survival if the cancer has spread throughout the body [8].

The FIT test can and should be used in conjunction with a colonoscopy, when available, appropriate, and discussed with the patient’s primary health care provider, for optimal colon health.

Patients who decide to delay a colonoscopy or who are younger than recommended colonoscopy guidelines would do well to discuss a FIT test with their health care providers.

It is recommended that a FIT test be done at least once a year for individuals aged 50 and older [9].

AYUMETRIX, the leader in smart, innovative, convenient, and easy lab testing, offers comprehensive FIT testing with accurate results. FIT testing with AYUMETRIX is safe and thorough providing the highest quality results at a fraction of the cost. As an added benefit, there is no need to even leave the comfort of home for the FIT test to be administered. AYUMETRIX offers an in home FIT collection kit, which, once the sample is collected, can be sent off to the lab.

Unfortunately colon cancer is no longer a disease found in older individuals. Those under the age of 55 are being affected by this deadly disease at an alarming rate as well. No matter the age, colon health is important and FIT testing can help to keep the colon healthy with early colon cancer detection.

For more information about FIT testing and the many benefits it has on colon health please visit ayumetrix.com or contact info@ayumetrix.com

 

 

Candace Mather, ND

 

 

References

1.    https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/statistics/index.htm

2.    https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/DataViz.html

3.    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3031675/

4.    https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html

5.    https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

6.    https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colon-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353669

7.   https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000704.htm

8.   https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html

9.   https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/tests.htm

 

 

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