SAN ANTONIO – He has family members who have suffered from it and knows the advantage of early detection. Colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer and the third most deadly, but Dr. David Jones knows it’s not necessarily a death sentence.
"Colon cancer can be completely cured if we can detect it early," said Jones, of Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio.
Jones finds and treats colon cancer almost every day, detecting cancerous polyps. He also preaches the importance of colonoscopies. It's a procedure that seems to produce fear in many people, but it could be a lifesaver.
"Thankfully, (a) colonoscopy is the one test that offers the opportunity to not only diagnose the polyp, but can actually remove it therapeutically," Jones said.
"I was getting real sick and I was losing weight, and I wasn't really feeling the way I usually feel. I thought I was just under stress, and that wasn't the case. That’s when I got tested," patient Desiree Yanes said.
Yanes is living proof that early detection is the key. Her grandmother had colon cancer, so she got involved in the yearly run to fight it.
Just a few months later, Yanes was tested herself at 36 and found out she had early-stage colon cancer.
"I think everybody thinks, ‘It can't be me.’ I think that's the problem. They think it's always something else," Yanes said.
With the idea that colonoscopies shouldn't be scary and colon cancer can be cured, Yanes, Jones and KSAT’s Steve Spriester will take part in this year's Get Your Rear in Gear 5K run Sunday at Morgan’s Wonderland. The hope is to raise money and awareness.
You can register online or at the race. For more information, visit this link.
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