RUMFORD – In recognition of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Rumford Hospital hosted a colon cancer awareness presentation Wednesday afternoon for the public.

Led by Maureen Higgins, cancer health outreach educator for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing in Lewiston, the presentation included how to prevent colon cancer, types of screenings and how much exercise to do daily.

The hospital offered a free healthy lunch consisting of turkey and tuna wraps, cantaloupe, baked chips and water.

Much of the focus was on informing the public about the importance of being screened for colon cancer. Higgins explained that many people refuse to be screened because they’re afraid of the test and the preparation for it.

“It’s recommended that every 10 years, you get a colonoscopy,” Higgins said. It typically takes about 10 years for a polyp to form, she said.

“If you have a history of colon cancer in your family, then you probably would want to chat with your physician about getting screened more often,” she said.

Higgins said “the cool part about a colonoscopy” is that, “If they find a polyp, something that is not necessarily a cancer, but can turn into a cancer, and they remove it at the time of the colonoscopy, you have prevented a cancer. Not just detected it early, you’ve prevented it. In my head, that makes a big difference. You could, in effect, prevent it from occurring, and that’s pretty awesome.”

Higgins told about Portland Press Herald columnist Bill Nemitz, who recently agreed to receive a colonoscopy while being filmed by the media to show the importance of screening. He had a polyp, she said.

“He, in effect, is the poster child, if you will, because he prevented cancer,” Higgins said.

The public shared their experiences with screenings and the preparation for them.

One woman said the colonoscopy “was nothing compared to the prep. It’s wicked. You think it’s never going to end when you see that gallon of liquid. That’s the hardest part, seeing all that liquid you have to drink,” she said.

Higgins agreed and reiterated that it’s important that people start getting colonoscopies at age 50. She said some people who waited until they were in their 60s died due to untreated colon cancer.

“The procedure is uncomfortable, sure, but it’s far less invasive than if you’re diagnosed at an advanced stage of colon cancer and you have to treat it then,” she said.

One resident who attended the presentation with her 77-year-old husband, who has never had a colonoscopy, laughed.

“It’s a good thing my husband is on the other end of the table right now,” she said, “because if he wasn’t, I’d be doing this to him right now,” nudging her elbow. “He’d be black and blue right now,” she joked.

Higgins said one way to reduce the risk of colon cancer is through diet.

“You could reduce the amount of red meat you eat in a week to two or three times,” she said. “You could eat anywhere between five and nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day. It’s also been said that you should maintain a healthy weight.”

The next presentation by The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Rumford Hospital is from 1:30 to 3 p.m. April 11.

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