Phoenix VA working to keep Veterans FIT
As the Veteran population in Arizona, continues to grow, the Phoenix VA is working to provide targeted care for these Veterans. This means eligible Veterans over 45 years old can get screened at the Phoenix VA Health Care System for early detection and diagnosis of colon cancer.
“All patients ages 45 to 75 should be screened for colon cancer,” said Dr. Prianka Chilukuri, GI Provider at the Phoenix VA. “Patients with a family history of colon cancer or high risk of colon polyps should complete a screening colonoscopy at age 40, or 10 years earlier than their family member was diagnosed.”
Based on recommendations from the CDC, VA recently lowered the recommended age for colorectal cancer screening from 50 years old to 45 years old for Veterans with no risk factors. Veterans who have a family history of colorectal cancer or advanced polyps, a history of inflammatory bowel disease, or certain familial genetic syndromes may be recommended for earlier screening by their primary care provider.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and Colorectal Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.
“The VA diagnosis more than 4000 cases of colorectal cancer in Veterans each year, and this is a cancer that is treatable if caught early,” said Dr. Stacie Vela, Chief Gastroenterologist for the Phoenix VA.
The reason why colorectal cancer is so dangerous is because it can go unnoticed for years. This means the colorectal cancer can progress and often go undiagnosed until it is too advanced to cure.
“Colorectal cancer is preventable if appropriate screening tests are performed. Colorectal cancer screening can be an uncomfortable subject for some Veterans and the VA offers Veterans a choice in modalities,” said Dr. Vela. “The most important step in early detection is getting screened.”
Phoenix VA encourages all Veterans to be proactive with their health care. This is why the Phoenix VA provides two options for colon cancer screening: Colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical test (FIT).
“Colonoscopy and FIT testing are both accurate and accepted ways of testing for colon cancer,” said Dr. Chilukuri. “The sensitivity of FIT testing is about 70% for cancer and 22% for polyp detection. The sensitivity of colonoscopy testing is 95% for both cancer and polyp detection.”
While the FIT testing has a lower sensitivity for cancer and polyps, it is a useful tool for early detection when completed on a yearly basis.
“Both tests are very important to detect polyps or early stages of colon cancer where the cancer can be prevented or successfully treated,” said Tamara Mavasheva, RN, Phoenix VA colorectal cancer screening coordinator.
FIT testing is a screening that can be completed in the privacy and convenience of the Veteran’s home. Veterans can request a FIT kit by contacting their primary care provider at their local VA medical facility. The Veteran will receive the test kit from their VA provider, which has everything needed to complete the screening process. Once the sample has been collected the sample, it is very important to clearly write the date of collection on the FIT kit.
“Once complete, simply return to your nearest VA laboratory or send it by mail immediately or within three to five days of collection,” said Mavasheva. “If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to your Pact Team nursing staff.”
If the Fit testing comes back with a positive result, this means there are indications that polyps, cancer, or abnormalities were found in the colon. A Veteran with a positive result from FIT testing means the Veteran should have a follow-up colonoscopy. The Veteran’s primary care team at the Phoenix VA will notify the patient of a positive result and refer them to a gastroenterology specialist to schedule the colonoscopy.
“If a patient has a positive FIT test, the GI department will work to expedite the colonoscopy in order to evaluate the abnormal result as soon as possible, based on each Veteran’s particular health needs,” said Dr. Chilukuri.
While there is a lot of fear and misunderstanding about colorectal cancer, it is important for Veterans to know the facts and the benefits of early screening.
“We have encountered patients who have had a positive FIT result, which led to a colonoscopy that revealed colon cancer or high-risk polyps that were close to being cancerous,” said Dr. Chilukuri. “Thankfully, early colon cancer is treatable, so it is best to detect it as soon as possible.”
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