WINCHESTER — An inflatable colon that’s 10 feet tall, 12 feet wide and 20 feet long made its debut Monday at Winchester Medical Center with the goal of raising awareness about colorectal cancer and the importance of early detection.
At a ribbon cutting for the giant inflatable colon, Dr. Grace Shih of Winchester Gastroenterology Associates shared that one in 22 Americans will get colon cancer.
“Just remember — do your duty to your booty and get screened,” Shih told the crowd, explaining that screening “actually does prevent colon cancer.”
Behind her, a ribbon stretched across the opening of a larger-than-life colon tunnel in WMC’s South Tower lobby for people to walk through and view colon tissue in varying degrees of health, then come out the other end.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, as declared by the American Association for Cancer Research. It’s also National Nutrition Month. Both were topics at Monday’s event.
Four WMC dieticians paraded around the lobby wearing fruit and vegetable costumes. There were two peas in a pod, as well as a carrot and a strawberry. Recipes covered a nearby table, boasting dishes like white chicken chili and overnight oats, which intern Lily Steirer chose for their high fiber content.
“Fruits and vegetables have fiber, which is really important for your gut health,” said registered dietician Alex Caljean, who was dressed as a peapod.
Dr. Maria Sophia Villanueva from Valley Health Surgical Oncology also recommended restricting processed foods, red meats, alcohol and smoking when it comes to colorectal cancer prevention.
“It’s a gut disease,” Villanueva said. “So, what we put in our body can put a higher risk for more cancer.”
The age at which people are developing colorectal cancer is gradually lowering, which was another topic of discussion. Brochures being handed out said “45 is the new 50” and advised adults to get a colonoscopy five years sooner than previously recommended.
Asked what’s causing the age shift, Shih and Villanueva indicated that there are numerous theories, such consuming more processed foods, more antibiotic use among pregnant women and an increase in obesity.
For Angie Padilla, a registered nurse in the emergency department at WMC, the cause of her colon cancer is unclear. At 37 years old, she’s not obese and isn’t a smoker or a heavy drinker. She’s known among her coworkers as a healthy eater, and testing shows that she’s not genetically predisposed.
“Even as a nurse … now that I’m on this journey, I’m learning so much and realizing how there’s just not enough awareness,” Padilla said.
Padilla was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in January, which came as a shock. When she began experiencing the typical symptoms, neither she nor her primary care doctor jumped to the conclusion of cancer. They assumed it was a less significant gastrointestinal problem — until she got screened.
“Scientists can’t figure out yet why it’s on the rise for young folks,” Padilla said.
She hopes for more funding and more research to explore environmental factors that could be factors. In her personal life, Padilla has been particularly grateful for her faith and support system over the past few months.
As for the inflatable colon, it will stay at WMC for viewing for about a week before being transported to other Valley Health hospitals, of which there are six in the region.
This is the first time for the exhibit, but the plan is for it to return for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month next year, too, according to Shih and Villanueva. They explained that their team intend for it to be a recurring awareness initiative that is more interactive than informational fliers alone.
“And, you know, you can find anything from Amazon,” said Villanueva about the giant colon, which was purchased from the online retailer.
For more information, visit valleyhealthlink.com/colorectalcancer.
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