Even though colorectal cancer isn’t the most talked about form of cancer, it’s the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., especially in adults approaching their 40s and 50s.
Dr. Darrell Gray II, Deputy Director at the Center for Cancer Health Equity at the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center believes although this change will be met with controversy and spark new debate, it will have lasting benefits for all.
“It’s a bold step by the American Cancer Society in response to the disturbing trend of an increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses and deaths among young adults,” says Gray.
He admits the move has garnered both praise and controversy. “Organizations such as Fight Colorectal Cancer, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, and the American Gastroenterological Association support this guideline update,” he says. However, he also acknowledges many clinicians and researches question whether the projected benefits of the guideline modification are inflated and if the potential risks are minimized, based on a model which assumes 100% patient screen compliance.
“No matter which side of the debate people and organizations are on, this update has importantly sparked conversations in households, communities and clinical practices across the nation about colorectal cancer screening,” says Gray.
Dr. Gray wears myriad hats at The Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2015 he and colleagues at the CCC created the Provider and Community Engagement (PACE) Program, and its mission to provide low- and/or no-cost colonoscopies for uninsured and underinsured patients in central Ohio. Since the program’s inception, Gray and his team have screened more than 130 men and women who fall within the two aforementioned categories.
“That is why I, along with a team of nurses, researchers, doctors, patient navigators, staff and volunteers, invest so much time in diverse communities across Ohio." - Dr. Darrell Gray II
According to the American Cancer Society, there has been a 51 percent increase in colorectal cancer for people under the age of 50 since 1994. Gray and other clinicians alike suspect that the sharp increase may be influenced by a combination of dietary, environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. “However, no one knows that exact answer yet and it’s a race to figure it out,” says Gray.
Gray is impassioned to share his knowledge with not only the local community but on a state-wide level as well. “Awareness is incredibly important because colorectal cancer is largely preventable and is curable when detected early,” says Gray.
To raise awareness, the PACE program purchased, and installed permanently, a model named ‘The Inflatable Colon.’ The name is just as it states – a giant 10x10x30 square foot mock colon – that when fully inflated allows individuals to see what the lower intestine looks like on a grand scale.
According to 2012 data from the Centers for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Surveillance System, an estimated 53 percent of Ohioans 50 years of age and older indicate having had a colorectal cancer screening within the past five years. “That is why I, along with a team of nurses, researchers, doctors, patient navigators, staff and volunteers, invest so much time in diverse communities across Ohio spreading the word about getting screened and do our best to navigate people beyond any barriers to doing so,” he says.
Chase Ray is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
About the Expert
Darrell Gray, MD, MPH is a gastroenterologist specializing in the evaluation, management, and prevention of diseases involving the digestive tract. He strives to provide timely, effective, efficient, safe, equitable and patient-centered care during every patient encounter. Additionally, Dr. Gray utilizes his training and expertise in medicine, public health and health policy to educate and advocate for his patients. One area in which he is particularly passionate is in colorectal cancer prevention and screening.
Dr. Gray completed medical school at Howard University College of Medicine, residency in Internal Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, Gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master’s of Public health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of medicine, director of Community Engagement and Equity in Digestive Health, medical director of Endoscopy and Gastroenterology Services at University Hospital East and deputy director at the Center for Cancer Health Equity at the OSUCCC – James.
