The 12-by-12-foot inflatable colons, nicknamed “Colin” and “Collette,” weigh about 110 pounds each and depict the different stages of colorectal cancer, starting with the earliest stage: a precancerous polyp.
Colette stopped in Park City to teach the importance of these potentially life-saving screenings Monday, March 11. Dr. Holly Clark, a gastroenterologist at Intermountain Health Park City Hospital, explained colon cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer.
“Unlike many other cancers, unfortunately, most colon cancers can be prevented," she explained. "The vast majority of colon cancers can be prevented by having a screening colonoscopy and having precancerous polyps removed at the time of colonoscopy. That can prevent the development of cancer at that site in the colon down the road.”
She said colon cancer is on the rise. Doctors have lowered the screening age in hopes of catching it sooner, giving patients a better chance at survival.
“A startling statistic: one is more likely to develop colon cancer during his or her lifetime if born in 1990 versus if born in 1950," she said. "That's a really scary statistic. So for that reason, the screening age was reduced to age 45.”
Clark said while at-home screenings are becoming more accessible, there is an important distinction between detecting colon cancer and preventing it.
“These at-home tests are pretty good at detecting colon cancer. But if you're a healthy 45-year-old, you want to know if you have colon cancer? No, you want to prevent colon cancer. And colonoscopy is the only test that can prevent colon cancer by finding and then removing these precancerous polyps.”
The American Cancer Society estimates more than 53,000 Americans will die from colon cancer in 2024, making it the second leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the U.S.
The next stop will be at the Heber Valley Hospital, March 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It will tour the state until March 29.
