March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and a Shreveport area specialist says it is very important to have timely screenings. Gastroenterologist Dr. James Hobley (pronounced: HOBB-lee) grew up in Shreveport, and says – it is especially crucial for Louisiana to stay ahead of potential problems. He says, in our state, we have two of the most at-risk populations for colon and rectal cancers,
“We have the rural population and we have the underserved African-American population – which our state has quite a few of..”
New research shows colon cancers are increasing in the U.S.; especially among Blacks and Hispanics under 40. Dr. Hobley says your family’s history with colorectal cancer is important to know when talking with your doctor. He cites the sad story of the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who starred as Marvel’s Black Panther. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 39 and was dead by the time he was 43.
Dr. Hobley says there are mail-in tests available to detect colon cancers, but he favors getting a colonoscopy every few years, to seek out polyps and PREVENT cancers from forming.
“If we find that benign growth and we remove it, we essentially prevent colon cancer. You do that by seeing a gastrointestinal specialist, and you undergo a colonoscopy … and we find those polyps during that procedure and we remove them.
Hobley says colorectal cancer is a very treatable and beatable disease, and – if you are 45 or older and have not had a colonoscopy – you should consult with your doctor about getting one soon.
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