To catch colorectal cancer early, advocates push to make 'poop talk' OK
Advocates are working to reduce the stigma around discussing bowel health to improve early detection of colorectal cancer, which is on the rise among younger adults. Despite being preventable with screening, many people avoid talking about symptoms due to embarrassment, leading to delayed diagnoses, especially in high-risk groups. Survivors like Rick Rivers and medical professionals emphasize the importance of open conversations about poop and early testing, even before standard screening age.
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To catch colorectal cancer early, advocates push to make 'poop talk' OK April 30, 20266:00 AM ET Yuki Noguchi start08/iStockphoto/Getty Images No one ever mentioned to Rick Rivers that his grandfather died of colorectal cancer — until Rivers himself was diagnosed at age 31. Cancer felt like a taboo topic in his family, where diabetes, for example, was not. And especially so, because of where the cancer grew in his body. "There's a shame factor to talk about certain areas of your body and them not functioning the way that they're supposed to," says Rivers, a father of three in Williamstown, N.J. So the topic never came up, he says, even though colorectal cancer occurs more often and is more lethal among Black people like himself.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at NPR — News.