Op-Ed: Protecting Our Community Starts with Cancer Screening
Dennis Barnes, Raleigh, NC
In a time when political division and a gridlock in Congress dominates the headlines, there’s one issue that should unite us all – the fight against cancer. No matter our background, beliefs or zip code, nearly every family has felt the pain and uncertainty that a cancer diagnosis brings. Still, like many Americans, I put off keeping up with my recommended cancer screenings until just a few years ago. When I was fortunate enough to receive clear results, I realized the risk I had taken by waiting so long to get screened. Now, I’m committed to educating others in our community about the importance of routine screenings and how early detection can make all the difference in the fight against cancer.
North Carolina’s cancer incidence rate is higher than the national average, with 464.4 cases per 100,000 residents compared to 442.3 per 100,000 nationwide, with the most deadliest cancers in our state being those of the breast and colon/rectum. On top of the geographic disparity, North Carolina also faces significant racial disparities when it comes to cancer. There is an unequal burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) among Black Americans in North Carolina, with Black males having the highest incidence and mortality rate across all races and ethnicities.
It's painful to see such disparities, but I am determined to play a role in changing them. There are many societal pressures that lead men of color to believe they’re supposed to be impenetrable, as if nothing can touch them. This mindset can make it easy to avoid thinking about things like cancer screening. But I want to emphasize that being informed about your health is always better than staying in the dark.
I went years without completing my recommended colon cancer screening. My doctor first discussed it with me when I was 49, after I had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and had undergone several other tests for various conditions. I agreed to schedule a colonoscopy, but despite my best intentions, life got in the way. Between working a demanding job, raising my family and being involved in my community, I put my health on the back burner.
At a doctor’s visit several years later, my doctor brought up a new colon cancer screening option that was available, a simple blood test that could be done that day – no special preparation, diet changes, sedation or stool collection required. It was the Shield test, the first FDA-approved blood screening test for colorectal cancer, and I agreed to try it.
Waiting for my results posed more anxiety than I could’ve imagined, but after they came back clean, I felt compelled to share my positive experience with anyone I could. I learned that more than 50 million Americans, that’s 1 out of every 3 people, don’t keep up with their CRC screenings because they find the traditional methods of colonoscopy or stool-based tests unpleasant and inconvenient. This gap in screening blew my mind, especially given CRC’s 91 percent survival rate when caught early.
Although the colonoscopy remains the gold standard for CRC screenings, having the option of a blood test enabled me to get screened much sooner than I probably would’ve, and I think it can have the same impact for others. Right now, the Shield test is covered for Medicare recipients and veterans receiving community care benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends routine colon cancer screening for individuals at average risk starting at age 45. I encourage everyone to talk to their doctor about their cancer risk, discuss the screening options available to them and make a cancer screening plan. The truth is, cancer doesn’t wait for a convenient time and can affect anyone, at any age. And with more accessible screening options like Shield, fear and misinformation should be the last thing stopping you from being proactive with your health.
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