Jun 4, 2009 7:57 pm US/Eastern
Fawcett's Death Brings Attention To Anal Cancer
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Actress Farrah Fawcett fight against anal cancer came to a tragic end on Thursday.
Healthwatch reporter
Kellye Lynn talks with a local woman who also had the disease but is now considered cancer free.
This woman's story isn't out of the ordinary. A local cancer surgeon tells WJZ the prognosis is good when the cancer is caught in the early stages.
A face once synonymous with beauty and sex appeal is now the face of this disease.
Farrah Fawcett's battle with anal cancer has left the world watching and wondering about this rare form of cancer.
"I didn't want to talk about it out of sheer embarrassment," says Taron Butler, anal cancer survivor.
Taron Butler was initially ashamed to tell her doctor she had bowel incontinence, an exam later confirmed anal cancer.
Dr. Debra Vachon of the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center says about two percent of colorectal cancer cases are anal cancer.
This year more than 5,200 people are expected to learn they have the cancer and more than 700 will die from the disease that most commonly affects adults over the age of 35.
"Many patients who have anal cancer present late because they present with symptoms mislabeled as hemorrhoids," says Dr. Vachon.
Many patients who have anal cancer present late because they present with symptoms mislabeled as hemorrhoids.
Other signs includes bleeding, pain, discomfort, itching and like in Taron's case, bowel incontinence.
One of the main risk factors is HPV, the same virus associated with cervical cancer.
Women, people who have multiple sex partners, anal sex, and smokers also have a higher risk of anal cancer.
The good news is that when the anal cancer is found early it's highly treatable with radiation and chemotherapy.
Finding her cancer early helped Taron overcome her disease.
Nearly four years after her diagnosis, she's considered cancer free.
"For me to even see myself and where I am today, it's a blessing," says Butler.
Taron and Dr. Vachon agree that talking to a physician about your symptoms is crucial.
If you have discomfort in your anal area that doesn't go away after two weeks, see a doctor for a thorough exam.
People who have compromised immune systems are also more susceptible to anal cancer.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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