Colon Cancer Awareness

As we approach Colon Cancer Awareness Month in March, I took some time to talk with Barbara Holmes-Erickson, who was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of forty-five. When her physician, Dr. Mu (in picture below) suggested that she get a colonoscopy, she agreed but wasn't expecting what came next.

"Dr. Mu called me at home that very night," she said.  "I was too young," she said. "And I was very much shocked by the news that I had colon cancer."


"It's curable if it's caught in time," Barbara said. "There have been at least twenty people I've referred to have a colonoscopy who have been diagnosed with pre-cancerous polyps. Their lives were saved. I'm always talking to everyone and encouraging them to have this procedure done. I know of many who chose not to and who are no longer with us," she added.

Colon cancer is the second largest killer among all cancers, and the third most common cancer.

The goals of a screening colonoscopy are to detect colon cancer at an early and curable stage, when there are no symptoms; and to prevent colon cancer by removing precancerous polyps.


Dr. Mu is one of eight gastroenterologists at Western Washington Medical Group's Gastroenterology Department. They perform over 4,000 colonoscopies each year at their Endoscopy Center in Silver Lake. The Center is the only Accredidation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) accredited Endoscopy unit in Snohomish County.  They are also an ASGE Recognized Endoscopy Unit.

You can find out more about them here.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and Western Washington Medical Group’s (WWMG) Gastroenterology Department and Endoscopy Center are getting the word out early this year and encouraging the public to get screened for colorectal cancer not only in March but all throughout the year.