.

Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Don't be embarrassed, it's just a giant colon.

The walk-through model of the lower digestive tract was part of an exhibition set up at the Multiplex arena Thursday as way to increase awareness about colon cancer.

Bram Eisenthal, left, Dr. Tom Guzowski and Health Minister Sandy Lee take a tour through a giant colon at the Multiplex Thursday. - Katherine Roth/NNSL photo

According to Bram Eisenthal, director of the exhibit, people need to stop feeling uncomfortable when it comes to talking about the disease, since it is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the NWT, and if caught early it can be successfully treated 90 per cent of the time.

"Nobody ever died of embarrassment," he said. "It's the fact that it leads to people not getting screened that can be deadly." Around 20 people are diagnosed with colon cancer in the NWT each year, but according to digestive tract specialist Dr. Tom Guzowski, there are many more people who have gone undiagnosed that could potentially have the disease.

"I would be surprised if half of the people who are eligible are getting screened," he said.

Candidates for screening are people who have a history of colon cancer in their family or any person over the age of 50. Dr. Guzowski said the reason for the large number of cases in the North has a lot to do with environmental factors as well as genetics, but the number could easily be lowered if people took the necessary steps toward prevention.

"By raising general awareness, we hope that more people will think to go out and get screened," he said. "It is a very preventable and treatable disease that everyone should know about."

Being candid and educated about the disease is what led survivor Lea Martin to the doctor's office, where she was diagnosed and successfully treated for the cancer.

"Yes, I have rectal cancer, and I think it's really important to talk about it," she said.

At 47 years old, Martin decided to see her doctor after knowing that her mother had polyps, which are the first sign of colon cancer. Even though she started out symptom free, a colonoscopy led to the discovery that she also had polyps. When she went back to get checked a year later, they had turned cancerous. But because of early detection, the doctors were able to operate and she is now cancer free.

"I'm one of the lucky ones, because I caught it early," she said. "I don't say 'why me', I say 'why not me'. It could happen to anyone."

Promoting awareness throughout the territory is something that Health Minister Sandy Lee thinks is important to make the transition where people are no longer afraid to talk about colon cancer.

"It's like everything else – much like the issue of breast cancer years ago," she said. "We need to get people to talk about it and even laugh about it. It's important that people understand that they should make (screening) part of their routine exam."

In the NWT, the rate of colon cancer for men is 50 per cent higher than the average in Canada, and 67 per cent higher for women.