kristen bell reveals family history of colorectal cancer

in an interview on her husband’s podcast, armchair expert with dax shepard , actress kristen bell, 41, explained that she recently had her first colonoscopy. she went in for the elective screening process at a younger age than most due to a family history of colon cancer .

“i had an elective colonoscopy,” bell explained on the podcast. “you’re supposed to start getting colonoscopies, i think, at 45, and 40 if you have any family history. i do, so i was like get in there .”

approximately one in 14 canadian men and one  in 18 canadian women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime, according to the the government of canada . it is also the second leading cause of cancer death in men and third leading cause of cancer death in women.

early detection is key

early detection is key when it comes to colorectal cancer. colorectal cancer canada estimates that 90 per cent of cases, if caught early, can be treated effectively.

a patient who has developed colorectal cancer may not show many symptoms, according to the american cancer society , which is why screening is so important. some symptoms include blood in your stool (which can appear dark brown or black in colour), constantly feeling like you need to go to the bathroom, diarrhea or constipation that lasts for several days, abdominal cramps and unintentional weight loss.

a less invasive screening approach

the canadian cancer society doesn’t actually recommend routine colonoscopies for anyone not considered high-risk. instead, the recommendation for adults aged 50 to 74 is to have a stool test every two years, with a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy only necessary if the stool test comes back with concerning results.

the american cancer society , on the other hand, recommends adults not considered high risk start using either a stool test or scope screening at the age of 45. screening methods include a full colonoscopy every 10 years, a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years or a yearly stool test.

patients who are considered high risk include those who “ have a parent, sibling or child with colorectal cancer, a personal history of colorectal cancer or non-cancerous polyps in the colon or rectum, inflammatory bowel disease and some inherited conditions such as familial adenomatous polyposis or lynch syndrome,” according to the canadian cancer society. in these instances, the patient’s doctor may choose to start screening early and use scopes instead of stool tests.

screening for colorectal cancer

there are two kinds of stool tests. the first, a guaiac fecal occult blood test (gfobt) tests for trace amounts of blood in the sample, which could be a warning sign of developed tumours, according to colorectal cancer canada . the second stool test, fecal immunochemical test (fit or ifobt), also tests for blood, but uses an antibody detection method to screen for the presence of hemoglobin proteins, which may be more accurate.

if a stool sample is flagged, or if your doctor determines it’s necessary based on your risk factors, a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy might be considered necessary. both procedures involve inserting a thin, flexible camera into the rectum and colon in order to visually look for signs of cancer like bleeding or polyps. in some cases, a small tissue sample may also be taken for analysis, polyps may be removed, and bleeding can be addressed.

a flexible sigmoidoscopy looks at the lower rectum and colon and can be completed in a doctors office, according to the canadian cancer society . to prepare, you may be asked to follow a clear liquid diet the day before the test, such as broth, coffee or tea without cream or popsicles (not red, blue or purple). you may also be asked to take a laxative the night before the procedure or an enema on the day-of to ensure the colon is empty. patients can return to their normal activities immediately afterwards.

a colonoscopy scope is able to look at more of the colon. because of this, the procedure is often performed by a gastroenterologist in a hospital, and pain medication or anesthesia may be recommended to ensure you are as comfortable as possible. the prep tends to be a little more involved than the sigmoidoscopy scope, as well. your doctor will prescribe a bowel prep in order to clean out your bowels. the prep doesn’t always taste great. harvard health suggests adding flavoured drink crystals (not red, blue or purple, though), chilling the mixture, or sucking on a hard candy after each glass. it’s important to ensure you are in a comfortable place, with easy access to a bathroom once you start the prep, as you will experience a lot of diarrhea.

this procedure will take longer than a sigmoidoscopy scope, and you may be asked to stay at the clinic for a few hours afterwards. depending on the medication given, you also may need to arrange to be driven home, and possibly plan to spend the next day taking it easy.