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Dr. Debra Vachon of The Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy.

Colon-Rectal Surgeon Dr. Debra Vachon Of The Institute For Digestive Health And Liver Disease Comments On Need For Colon Cancer Screenings For Women

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of death among men and women and is one of the most preventable cancers if detected early, but women sometimes put off getting colonoscopies.

When 50-year-old Valerie Bradley had her first routine colonoscopy, she said she was shocked to find out she had colon cancer.

"I had no symptoms at all, and you know, I just went for my regular screening... and that's when they found it," she said.

Doctors found that her cancer was already spreading.

"They removed a tumor and found that it had gone into the lymph nodes, so now I'm doing cancer treatments," Bradley said.

According to colon-rectal surgeon Dr. Debra Vachon of the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy, women often are reluctant to get colorectal screenings because they think it's a man's disease, but colon cancer does affect both genders equally. Vachon said there are other reasons women put off colonoscopies.

"They are embarrassed to even talk about it and they're embarrassed about the examination," she said. "There's reluctance because there is a fear that maybe it will be uncomfortable."

But Dr. Vachon said patients are sedated and don't feel anything.

"That was the best sleep you could have — painless. No problems," Bradley said.

Dr. Vachon added that it is important for women to know when to start getting colonoscopies.

"The recommendation is to start at the age of 50. If you have family members, then the recommendation is to start at 40 or about 10 years younger than the affected relatives, and we're talking about close relatives," she said.

Regardless of your age, you should see a doctor if you are having any symptoms that include blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss or a change in bowel habits.

Bradley said she's grateful she had her screening when she did.

"My best advice for anyone, male or female, is at the age-appropriate time, get your screenings done. Don't wait," she said.

If colon cancer is found and treated early, the survival rate can be as high as 90 percent. For more information, watch Dr. Vachon on "The Woman's Doctor" on WBAL-TV11 at http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/18889118/detail.html.