Colonoscopy comes just in time for local woman with undiagnosed colon cancer

Just in Time: A Screening Test Saved Her Life

Mary Wyckoff had never had symptoms of colorectal cancer. Nor was she aware of any family history of the disease. Busy working, caring for her aging parents and helping her sons plan their weddings, there never seemed to be a good time to get a colonoscopy.

It wasn’t until she turned 59, with the encouragement of her husband and close friends, that Wyckoff made an appointment to get screened.

As it turns out, it could not have come too soon. The test revealed a cancerous polyp in Wyckoff’s colon. Concerned that the malignant cells may have invaded her colon wall or spread to her lymph nodes, Wyckoff’s board-certified gastroenterologist, Tonya Adams, MD, referred her to Inova Fair Oaks Hospital colorectal surgeon Lynda Dougherty, MD. Supported by a highly skilled team, Dr. Dougherty, who is board-certified and fellowship-trained, performed a robotic colectomy to remove a portion of Wyckoff’s colon.

Wyckoff soon learned that the cancer had traveled to one of her lymph nodes, and she needed immediate treatment with chemotherapy.

“Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Adams were wonderful, and their being proactive and going ahead and recommending the surgery saved my life,” says Wyckoff, now 60, whose one-year repeat colonoscopy revealed she is completely cancer-free. “I feel incredibly grateful things worked out so well for me and I would certainly encourage anyone who hasn’t had a colonoscopy to get one.”

Cutting-Edge Cure

The most common treatment for colorectal cancer is surgery, and at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, patients can reap the benefits of the latest techniques available including robotic-assisted surgery.

“Inova’s got the fastest growing robotic colorectal program in Northern Virginia,” says Dr. Dougherty. “All we do is colon surgery, so we tend to have a higher volume, and higher-volume surgeons have been shown to have better outcomes in the colorectal specialty.”

Robotic surgery also provides a safe, effective option for patients with common digestive conditions such as diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

“Because we can do the surgery through smaller incisions, patients have less pain and a faster recovery,” says Dr. Dougherty.

Get Screened

When should you get screened? “We go by the recommendations of the American Gastroenterology Society and the American Cancer Society, which is if you are low risk, have no symptoms or family history, start at age 50,” says Lynda Dougherty, MD.

If you have a family history or symptoms such as rectal bleeding, black, tar-like stools, a change in bowel habits or unexplained weight loss, Dr. Dougherty recommends talking to your doctor about getting screened earlier.

Ask the Experts

“Advances in Colorectal Cancer” is one of Inova’s many FREE Ask the Expert lecture topics. To see the current list of scheduled lectures on a wide range of health & medical topics, visit www.inova.org/AskTheExpert or call 1.855.My.Inova (1.855.694.6682).

Make an Appointment

Some patients need a referral to see a specialist who can perform a colonoscopy To get a referral to a primary care provider near you, fill out our form at www.inova.org/colon.