Dr. Bola Olusola, a gastroenterology specialist at UT Health Northeast, speaks about colon cancer awareness and prevention on Monday evening at One Stop Barbershop, 1710 Garden Valley Road. (Victor Texcucano/Staff)

It’s not everyday that you walk into a barbershop to learn about the risks of colon cancer while also having an opportunity to get a free preventive screening.

That’s what happened Monday night as part of a UT Health Northeast population health initiative, made possible through a $1.23 million grant.

The hospital enlisted a community outreach team to register East Texans, particularly those who do not have health insurance.

The grant is through the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, or CPRIT, which pays for free colon cancer screenings or colonoscopies for residents in Smith, Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, Rusk, Van Zandt, and Wood. While health officials target under- and uninsured residents in those counties, they said anyone who inquires about the program can receive a screening.

A small group of 17 attended the brief program at One Stop Barber Shop in North Tyler. Carl W. Jones, 74, wandered in on his way to a Bible study. He said he’s never had a colon cancer screening but is now considering to it.

“At 74, I might as well check it out,” he said. “I don’t know anything about cancer, period.”Alva Rand, 66, of Lindale, has had a colonoscopy but wanted more information to pass on to others. Her first cousin died of colon cancer at 51.

“I had an opportunity to see what it does to you if you don’t go get a colonoscopy,” Ms. Rand said. “I’m also an insurance agent and I’m always talking to people about health.”

Owner Andrea Crawford, 38, was receptive to the event being held at his business, noting that he’s had family members impacted by cancer.

“I think this is a good way to increase the awareness so we can win the fight against cancer,” he said. “A lot of people are scared because they don’t know. This will give them more information so they’ll feel comfortable going to the doctor to get checked out.”

African American barbershops have been known as places of important social discussion and information sharing. It’s why health officials selected the location.

Dr. Bola Olusola, a gastroenterologist at UT Health Northeast, said they hope to get people talking about cancer awareness and spread it to family and friends.

“It’s part of doing life in the community,” Olusola said. “A place like this is a great place to start.”

Olusola said research has shown that African Americans are more impacted by colon cancer.

“Colon cancer tends to be more aggressive in the African American community than any other race in the United States,” Olusola said. “The question has always been ‘why?'”

He said access to care is one factor, but it doesn’t explain it all.

“There was a study at the VA hospital where there is free access to care and that study shows in the VA community, where there is equal access, that the same holds true,” Olusola said. “We know it’s beyond just not having access to health care.”

UT Health Northeast physician Dr. Jimmy Morrison during an earlier colon cancer awareness program at the hospital said that the American College of Physicians recommends that screenings for African Americans begin at age 45.

“It’s a recommendation not adopted by the various GI and cancer societies,” he said. “But often times they’re at the forefront of making recommendations.”

He said in the black population, patients’ tumors are more advanced and outcomes aren’t as good.

“In the black patient population, screenings are very important to emphasize,” Morrison said. “Getting evaluated early is the way to prevent a life-threatening kind of problem.”

Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It affects about 60 percent of Americans, with almost 50,000 dying each year.

“That rate has dropped a little bit with active colorectal cancer screenings but they haven’t dropped as significantly as we had hoped,” Morrison said during the afternoon program. “So, we continue to emphasize patients having appropriate screening measures.”

The five-year survival rate is 92 percent when caught in the early stages, according to the American Cancer Society.

Although painless, Olusola said colonoscopy is an oft-dreaded procedure. He attributes shame and fear as a reason some avoid the screening.

“Nobody should ever die of shame,” he said.

GETTING HELP TO THE UNDERSERVED

Dr. Edward Sauter, a specialist in cancer surgery at UT Health Northeast who also spoke at Monday night’s event, said 60 to 80 percent of people with adequate insurance undergo colorectal screenings, while only about 25 percent of those with no insurance or a high co-pay get a colorectal screening.

He noted that in Texas—which has the highest number of uninsured at 25 percent—there is much room for improvement.”One of the important things about colorectal cancer screening that people don’t realize is that it is the biggest bang for your buck of any type of cancer screening,” Sauter said Monday at the hospital during the education session “Let’s Talk About Colon Cancer.” “It’s far more effective in terms of preventing death from cancer than mammography. The cost per life saved from mammograms is in the order of a couple million dollars. Colorectal cancer is far less than that.”

However, fewer people get the screening compared to others such as mammograms and prostate cancer screenings.

“The numbers are improving but that impact has not hit people without insurance,” Sauter said.

PREVENTION

Morrison said a key prevention strategy, as with other cancers and chronic illnesses, is to improve lifestyle. That includes regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco products and by limiting alcohol intake.

“There are some specific things we can do to prevent certain kinds of conditions that can shorten our lives,” he said.

There are various tests available when screening for colorectal cancer, including a test using stool samples; a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is a small tube is guided into the rectum to check every five years for polyps and cancer in the lower part of the colon; and a colonoscopy, which uses a longer, thin, flexible, lighted tube to check for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and the entire colon. During a colonoscopy, a doctor can find and remove most polyps and some cancers. Screenings are recommended for people 50 and older. However, people who have a close relative who had polyps or colorectal cancer should get screened at 40 or 10 years before the youngest case in the family. Screenings should happen sooner for people who have hereditary conditions, as diagnosed by a genetic test, according to the American Cancer Society.

To register for a free colon cancer screening, call 903-877-8937 or email crc.outrech@uthct.edu