Did You Come Of Age In The â€˜70s?

By Dr. Sunana Sohi
Your Voice Contributor

Dr. Sunana Sohi

Dr. Sunana Sohi

Remember the girl who loved mini-skirts and roller rinks and shook her booty to a song about survival? Donâ€™t let her down â€“ during Womenâ€™s Health Month in May, take the necessary steps to schedule all your preventive health screenings, including a colonoscopy.Â  It could save your life.

For most women, Womenâ€™s Health Month is a reminder to schedule their annual Pap test and mammogram, and maybe to make that appointment with a dermatologist that theyâ€™ve been putting off. However, one of the most important tests that women over 50 (or 45 for African-Americans) need to schedule is a colonoscopy.

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths for women in the U.S. â€“ right behind breast cancer. However, when it is caught early, colon cancer is 90 percent curable. And a colonoscopy is the only test that can detect and prevent cancer at the same time.


In reality, a colonoscopy is a relatively easy procedure. Patients are given anesthesia, and the entire procedure usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. If there are no problems, a follow-up test isnâ€™t recommended for another five to ten years. Most of the women that Iâ€™ve screened leave the test with the same opinion: it wasnâ€™t as bad as they thought, and the peace of mind is worth it.

Through StopColonCancerNow.com, I am working with a national community of physicians who are committed to increasing colon cancer screenings for men and women at risk for colon cancer. Age is the number one risk factor â€“ if you are 50 or older, or 45 and African-American, it is time to get screened. However, other factors such as family history or certain digestive symptoms could require earlier screening.

So talk with your OB/GYN or primary care physician about the right age for screening for you. Disco may be out, but staying healthy isnâ€™t.
