By Dianne Anderson

If a colonoscopy is not high on the to-do list, anyone can do a five-minute test privately at home to submit back to medical providers, or buy simple at-home tests sold at most big chain stores to get results almost instantly.

Health providers are telling people to get over their fear of colon cancer testing, and at very minimum, use easy DNA tests that catch several types of polyps before it becomes colon cancer, and at first treatable stages.

Last week, Eric Burroughs with the 100 Black Men of Long Beach was out distributing information on all forms of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer at the  19th Annual Taste of Soul LA.

Many stopped by his booth for cancer information and prevention materials in partnership with the City of Hope.

Burroughs said he practices what he tells others to do.  He stays on top of his health by using the at-home colon cancer detection tests from his health provider because the process is easy.

“I do the same test once a year with Cologuard,” said Burroughs, Eric Burroughs, health chair of the 100 BMLB. “It’s not rocket science at all. The last one I did, when I go to the Veterans Administration, I walk mine up to the lab. They take it and within 24, or so, you know the results.”

Prescription-based Cologuard tests are superior to FIT, using sDNA technology to detect 11 distinct biomarkers to identify CRC and precancerous polyps with up to 92% accuracy.  The other Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) detects 79% accuracy, is affordable, widely available, and should be done annually as part of regular colorectal cancer screening.

Colon cancer is one of the slowest-growing cancers, at about ten years to develop with an extremely high survival rate when caught early.  He said he also distributed information throughout October for breast cancer awareness month.

“Going forward, when we do direct outreach we may go into beauty shops and barbershops to talk about health screenings and to individuals about prevention,” he said.

Another good reason to request Cologuard testing and also the annual Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is to avoid race-based disparities in healthcare.  The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that Blacks experience a disproportionately high incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer, almost 40% higher than those of white people.

In a large national hospital-based study last year, researchers at the American Cancer Society also found that “individuals racialized as Black in the United States with early-onset colorectal cancer received worse and less timely, guideline-concordant care than individuals racialized as White.”

In all areas of Black health, advocate Antoinette Greer wonders how many in the community missed early screening during the COVID pandemic. She said others may also minimize the importance of screening, even with access to Covered California or free or low copay for services.

“We don’t have the psychology of why people won’t go to the doctor and be screened per recommendations, or have symptoms and ignore them. Colon cancer will typically give signs like pencil-sized or darker stools, not regular things. We are missing those things,” said Greer, co-founder and executive director of My Sister My Friend Breast Cancer Support.

Definite biases in medicine are not helping trust issues with the medical system, but she said it’s hard to get around or ignore screening results.

“I won’t say that we won’t get dismissed, but we do have to advocate for ourselves in certain instances. If we drop the ball, they don’t care about carrying the ball for us,” she said.

Annual recommendations fluctuate among health professionals. She said one rule of thumb for the Black community is to start screening and testing early.

Do not wait until the cancer spreads and grows.

In the past and continuing, her nonprofit has worked with several partners, including California Black Health Network. Last week, she said her organization held a productive breast cancer support event with a doctor’s panel, featuring a surgeon, an oncologist, a reconstruction surgeon, and a counselor pastor from the community.

“We know that 40 is the age that is best for us if we have a strong family history,” she said. “Right now, we’re getting digital mammographies. We shouldn’t be getting anything less than that.”

Earlier this month, Rhonda Smith with the California Black Health Network hosted a virtual breast cancer event covering clinical trials and the Black community.

As part of a 5-part series on “Making the Healthcare System Work Better for You,” a panel of top medical professionals and a two-time breast cancer survivor addressed the importance of how clinical trials and medical research have saved lives for Black people and people of color.

Smith, executive director of CBHN, said that increasing participation from the Black community is critical to closing the gap in health disparities.

“It allows researchers to better understand how diseases and treatments affect diverse populations leading to more accurate equitable effective treatments for everyone. In many cases participating in clinical trials or experimental therapies can be a life-saving option,” she said.

With colon cancer, the New England Journal of Medicine reports that 76% of colorectal cancer–related deaths occur in persons who are not up to date with screening. They recommend FOBT tests to expand screening options.

Fecal immunochemical test (FIT), also known as a FIT-DNA test, is usually covered by insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. Cologuard is available for the asking from health providers.

The American Cancer Society with the National Colorectal Roundtable reports colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. While preventive interventions such as screening for colorectal cancer are effective in reducing avoidable death, less than one-third of adults 50 to 75 are getting screened as recommended.

“Black and African American people experience disproportionately high incidence and mortality rates from colorectal cancer (CRC), with CRC death rates almost 40% higher than those of white people. While screening is only one element of the work that needs to be done to address these CRC disparities, it is important to promote screening in the best way possible,” the organizations report.

For more information, see

To get Cologuard free through Medicare, or through health providers, see or call  1-844-870-8870
https://www.cologuard.com/insurance

To see My Sister My Friend, https://www.mysistermyfriendbcs.com/

To see the recent CBHN Zoom on Breast Cancer, Clinical Trials, and the Black Community, as well as others in the series: https://youtu.be/2btFXPesAy4?si=odF-vq2AGHlRy3cq