As a genetic counselor, I cannot go into a lot of detail regarding what it’s like to have a colectomy, but I want to provide a little bit of background to Travis’ fantastic and very frank post, this week. A colectomy is a surgery to remove the large intestine, or colon. A colectomy may be used as part of the treatment for someone who has colorectal…
As I write this, I am aboard a plane returning home from Baltimore following a meeting with the Food and Drug Administration. Joined by a panel of experts in hereditary colon cancer, including Steve Erdman, MD (Pediatric gastroenterologist; The Ohio State University College of Medicine), Heather Hampel, MS, CGC (Genetic counselor; The Ohio State…
I feel funny writing about sharing genetic test results with family when I’ve never done it myself, but don’t let that stop you from reading… I’ll draw upon my years in the clinic as a genetic counselor, speaking to many families about this topic, and offer thoughts from my side of the table. I have seen that it’s complicated for some…
People often have a Utopian set of expectations whenever family reunions take place. They envision a Rockwell painting where kids behave and adults get along. In reality, you’re getting together with family you may or may not have seen in months, if not longer, and the actual reunion may not meet these expectations. Often, one or more people…
Colonoscopy is central to the care plan for families with hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) syndromes, as Georgia Hurst mentioned in her earlier post. Colonoscopic screening is the major means for prevention and early detection of CRC in this setting. It is worth highlighting what you can and should expect when getting a colonoscopy. It is…
I have Lynch syndrome and a strong family history of early onset colon cancer. Therefore, I must have annual colonoscopies. After my brother died at the age of 36 from colon cancer, I gladly began having colonoscopies every couple of years – way before I even knew I had Lynch syndrome. Just last month I had my 14th colonoscopy and had my first…
We’ve all heard that genetics plays a big role in the development of cancer, including both your individual genetics and changes acquired over your lifetime, as well as the genetics of what may be running in your family. Family history is one of the most important tools that providers use when estimating your lifetime risk to develop cancer,…
My family history has played a huge part in the perception of cancer awareness from a number of facets. The most notable way is the perception that colon cancer is an “old man’s disease.” While I may be older now, the fact that I was 29 when I developed colon cancer (the first time) makes people stop and think, even if they don’t necessarily…
If you have been diagnosed with an inherited colorectal cancer syndrome, your healthcare provider may have recommended that you consider having risk reducing surgery. Risk reducing colectomy is the removal of part (partial colectomy) or all (total colectomy) of the colon to reduce the risk of developing future cancer. Risk reducing hysterectomy…
With the increase in genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes, many women, especially those under the age of 50, are undergoing prophylactic surgeries in order to prevent cancer. While the surgeries may drastically reduce one’s chances of developing cancer to a particular area or organ, these surgeries are not to be minimized as they may…