Kali J Desautels

In October, there is a blush of pretty pink objects with the intention of raising money for Breast Cancer.

In November, buildings are alight in a wash of purple for Pancreatic Cancer Month.

In March, there are ads about endangered butts in Canada. As Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, March is ushered in with a model’s bottom painted to look like an endangered species, including the polar bear. Endangered Butts – Colorectal Cancer Canada is meant as a lighthearted reminder of a serious subject. Using body paint, on bare bums, which are then tended and moved to animate the animal (seriously, click the link if you think it sounds crazy), providing some insight into an insidious cancer.

According to the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC), Colorectal Cancer accounts for 13% of cancer diagnoses, second only to Lung Cancer (in non-gender discriminating cancers. The most common cancer in women remains Breast Cancer, whilst in men, the most common cancer is Prostate Cancer) as the most common cancer in Canada.

The thing about Colorectal Cancer is that in a puritanical society such as ours, anything related our bodily functions is a source of embarrassment. We are taught that “bathroom talk” is reserved for the bathroom or the doctor’s office, thereby creating a stigma that makes talking about our rectums, or anuses, or other defecation-related subjects taboo. We blush when we pass gas, giggle when someone belches, lower our voices to mutter diarrhea, apologize for “stinking up the bathroom”, and overall try to pretend that that basic human function does not exist. This means that whether we know, inherently, that we should be able to talk to our doctor’s about it, when we are concerned that there is a problem, we don’t, because even in the privacy of our Doctor’s Office, we feel the overwhelming societal humiliation deep through our pores.

So, in order to combat this, and remind us that giggling about our butts does not mean we should ignore them, we have http://www.endangeredbutts.ca/.

Endangered Butts

Since 2000, the incidence of Colorectal Cancer in younger adults (defined by the Cancer Agency as any adult under the age of 50) has increased, while Canada-wise screening has seen a decrease in overall instances of that cancer. So why are younger and younger people being diagnosed with a disease that is so common, but traditionally atypical in young adults? The CCAC attributes some of this to the increased rates of Diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise, the consumption of red or processed meats, and smoking.

Why should you listen to the polar bear talking out of a model’s butt? Because Colorectal Cancer is the second most common cause of death of males from cancer, with a 1 in 29 chance of dying from the disease. Because it accounts for 12% of all cancer deaths. Because the survival rate for adults diagnosed with any level of Colorectal Cancer is 68%. Because the symptoms are terrible. Because the longer you wait for diagnosis, through early diagnosis, the worse the results causing more invasive and painful treatment. Because stigmas do not save lives.

Colorectal Cancer Stats

Due to the slow growth of an average Colorectal Cancer cell, it is common to be diagnosed at a later stage than some cancers. This means that you may not exhibit symptoms for months, if not years, until suddenly, they arrive and quickly become unbearable. Below is the CCAC staging reference sheet:

“After each element has been determined, they are combined to form and overall stage of the cancer in roman numerals, the higher the number, the more advanced the cancer. This is generally how the cancer is referred to between doctor and patient:

• 0 – The cancer is confined to the innermost layer of the colon or rectum. It has not yet invaded the bowel wall.

• I – The cancer has penetrated several layers of the colon or rectum wall.

• II – The cancer has penetrated the entire wall of the colon or rectum and may extend into nearby tissue(s).

• III – The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

• IV– The cancer has spread to distant organs, usually the liver or lungs.“

So, now you have seen the funny polar bear, read the scary statistics, understand the staging of the cancer. That leaves only one more thing to include in this Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Public Service Announcement – the symptoms that should have you running, or at very least briskly walking to your doctor’s office.

Common symptoms are as follows:

1. blood in your stools,
2. narrower than normal stools,
3. unexplained abdominal pain,
4. unexplained change in bowel habits,
5. unexplained anemia, or
6. unexplained weight loss.

Ok! So, remember that March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness. If you can #EndTheStigma for mental health, you can totally end the stigma and talk to your doctor about early detection, to hopefully nip this in the “butt” (get it? Instead of buds!?!? 🤣)