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by Cindy A. Abole, Public Relations

Carolyn Cuttino's 50th birthday celebration brought a gift that only she could give herself. That gift was peace of mind against a deadly family disease, colorectal cancer.

In January, Cuttino elected to receive a colorectal cancer screening, complying with recommended guidelines from the American Cancer Society and the American Gastroentrological Association.

Cuttino, who is a certified enterostomal therapy nurse at MUSC hospital, counsels and cares for skin/chronic wound care patients who undergo ostomy surgery. Her profession and personal experience guided her to join a growing bandwagon of supporters dedicated to reducing the incidence and mortality rates associated with colorectal cancer.

“Throughout our lives we visit our doctor for other preventive tests like well-baby check-ups, annual physicals, mammogram, prostate cancer tests, etc.,“ Cuttino said. “Why can't people take advantage of these screening opportunities for good health?”

The colon or large bowel, is the last portion of the body's digestive tract. About four to five feet in length, the colon acts like a storage area for unabsorbed food products before it is released from the body.

A family history of colon cancer and the early death of a close friend, helped influence Cuttino to undergo a colonoscopy. The procedure allows the gastroenterologist to view the entire intestinal tract using a small, flexible fiber optic tube which is inserted into a patient's colon. The tube contains a tiny video camera with a light on the end. Better than X-ray views, the procedure allows a clear, detailed view of the entire length of the colon.

Other effective colorectal screening tests include the fecal occult blood test, digital rectal exam, flexible sigmoidoscopy and barium enema.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men and women need to begin screening at age 50. Higher risk individuals with a family history of colon cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease should be screened even earlier.

“Screening for colorectal cancer is just a logical thing to do,” said Brenda J. Hoffman, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, who also performed Cuttino's procedure. “More gastroenterologists are proving the effectiveness of colonoscopies and other screening options for at-risk individuals.”

Organizations like the American Cancer Society, Centers for Disease Control, National Cancer Institute, American Gastroentrological Association, United Ostomy Association and Colorectal Cancer Roundtable have increased their educational outreach and advocacy efforts for battling against this disease.

Cuttino arrived early at Rutledge Tower for her colonoscopy on Jan. 15. Following a brief review and preparation, she was rolled into the procedure room.

“The whole process didn't affect me until I saw my name on the endoscopy monitor,” Cuttino said. “Suddenly, I got scared and asked myself: what if they find something?” After the procedure, Hoffman reviewed her findings with her. Cuttino learned that apart from confirming a few diverticula, small non-cancerous sacs within the intestinal walls, no evidence of polyps or cancer was detected. Cuttino was relieved. It wasn't long afterward that she was swinging a golf club with friends.

“As we grow older, we tend to recognize that we are fallible to time and aging." Cuttino said. "We're now seeing friends our age getting sick. Before, we used to think it was our parent's problem. Now, its become our problem.”

Approximately 65,000 Americans die each year from colorectal cancer. Each year, more than 160,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed, making it the third most often diagnosed cancer in both men and women.

“We've come so far in research, new procedures and early diagnosis methods,” Cuttino adds. “This cancer is so preventable that people just need to do it. It just makes sense that everyone should take advantage of it.”

For more information on colorectal cancer, visit the Digestive Disease Center's website at <http://www.ddc.musc.edu>

Digestive Disease Center: Focused on the Patient

At MUSC Digestive Disease Center, participants are central to the efforts of a team of nationally and internationally recognized surgeons radiologists, gastroenterologists and others. Working together, these specialists are discovering new, less invasive ways to treat digestive disorders.

As a result of innovative work at MUSC, and in collaboration with other academic centers and medical manufacturers, the DDC offers many new methods for investigation and treatments for patients with hepatitis (Interferon); esophageal, pancreatic and colorectal cancer (virtual endoscopy, magnetic resonance scanning, gene therapy, stenting and minimmaly invasive surgery); inflammatory bowel disease; motility disturbances; pancreatitis and stones.