Mayor Tishaura O. Jones is scheduled to undergo a routine colonoscopy procedure on July 16, 2024, as part of her health management efforts.
The American Cancer Society estimates there will be over 150,000 new colorectal cancer diagnoses this year. One-third of those diagnosed are expected to succumb to the disease, making it the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
A colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for screening and has been shown to save lives. According to the National Institutes for Health, adults whose cancer was detected by screening colonoscopy had substantially higher overall survival and colorectal cancer-specific survival five years after diagnosis (>85% and >90%, respectively) compared to those whose cancer was detected by symptoms or other means (<70% and <75%, respectively).
The minimum age for screening was lowered from 50 to 45 a few years ago. Doctors recommend undergoing the procedure every ten years.
