Beverly Plosa-Bowser: I like surprises, but not when it comes to my health

The thing about brain aneurysms is you can’t see them coming. After years in the U.S. Air Force, I didn’t figure there was much that could knock me off my feet, but nothing can prepare you for living a normal day one moment and fighting for your life in the next.

Surviving a medical crisis like that changes you, and it should. It changed how I perceive medical threats, and it definitely changed how I manage my health. I’m much more aware of the worst-case scenarios, but I also feel more equipped to handle them. Mostly, I have a newfound appreciation for preventive healthcare, like screenings and tests that can detect problems early.

So, you can bet that I was excited to learn there is a new, easier way to test for colorectal cancer – the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the nation. I feel like people don’t talk about colorectal cancer much; maybe it’s a bit taboo. But in Pennsylvania alone, the American Cancer Society estimates that this year, 6,520 Pennsylvanians will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and of them, 2,240 patients will die from the disease.

The most heartbreaking part is that colorectal cancer isn’t like an aneurysm – you CAN see it coming and you can do something about it. When colorectal cancer is found early, at stages I or II, the five-year survival rate is approximately 91 percent.  When it is discovered late, survival rates drop as low as just 13 percent. It’s time we get a handle on this disease that kills roughly one in three diagnosed Pennsylvanians. It’s time to get screened for colorectal cancer.

But I get it. No one is lining up outside the doors of the local gastroenterologist to get a colonoscopy. Colonoscopies are uncomfortable and invasive, and the prep alone is enough to prohibit some people from getting the procedure. Luckily, there’s a new alternative: the Shield test. Shield is the first and only blood test approved by the FDA as a primary screening option for colorectal cancer. It is recommended for patients aged 45 and up at average risk and can be done at your local physician’s office – no specialist appointment, no icky prep, no time off work.

The blood test is covered by Medicare, VA Community Care, and recently, TRICARE, began covering the screening for the tens of thousands of active duty, reserve, and National Guard members who live in Pennsylvania.  

I’m excited to hear that the veteran and military communities are embracing this new option because expanding screening options is especially important in the veteran community. It is estimated that of the nine million veterans in the United States, one million retired service members aged 50 and older will develop colorectal cancer, over the remainder of their lives, and nearly 433,000 veterans will die from it – almost one half of those diagnosed.

We can do something about this. Colorectal cancer doesn’t have to be a surprise. With greater awareness, covered screening options, and an obligation to prevention, we can spare others the shock of a sudden diagnosis and save lives before it is too late.

If you are 45 or older and at average risk, talk to your doctor today about your screening options.

Beverly Plosa-Bowser retired Colonel in the U.S. Air Force from East Greenville, Pennsylvania.