Harry Connick Jr. coming to Austin to talk about colon cancer

Singer, actor and TV personality Harry Connick Jr. and his wife, Jill Goodacre Connick, are coming to Austin, but this time it won’t be for a movie premiere (he’s shot two here), and it won’t be to perform.

Instead, he will talk about turning 50 and the importance of getting screened for colon cancer.

“Cancer’s been unfortunately a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” he says. His mom died of ovarian cancer when he was 13; his wife had breast cancer. “I’m just sick of cancer.”

Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, but it’s also one of the most preventable if caught early. Yet Texas ranks 41st in the country for colon cancer screenings, says Dr. Jacqueline Champlain, a family practice physician at Austin Regional Clinic.

The Connicks have been touring the country talking about the importance of screenings as part of Cologuard, a noninvasive, at-home colon cancer screening test, and its New 50 campaign. Age 50 is when most people should first be screened for colon cancer, though those who have genetic risk factors such as a parent with early onset cancer, who have symptoms such as changes in the stool or weight loss, or who have an underlying disease such as Crohn’s, colitis or irritable bowel syndrome should be screened earlier.

Connick will be at the Bullock Texas State History Museum on May 15 to talk about using Cologuard himself. It was simple, he says, and took about a minute. Yet, he knows it’s not something people want to talk about. The campaign is trying to demystify the screening process, he says.

RELATED: University of Texas tests app for colon cancer

“Fortunately, my results are negative,” he says. But he knows what it was like when his wife was first diagnosed with breast cancer. “It was a nightmare,” he says. “It’s terrifying. “

A colonoscopy is considered the gold standard of colon cancer screening, Champlain says. It’s like what a dermatologist does during a routine skin check, Champlain says, except inside the colon; rather than looking for a suspicious mole, the doctor checks for polyps, which can be biopsied or even removed during the procedure.

But a colonoscopy often isn’t convenient for patients, Champlain says. Many people don’t have the time; it can take up to two days between prep and procedure. Sometimes you need an appointment with a specialist after getting a referral from your doctor, though Champlain says she tries to have her nurses smooth out that process.

Also, there’s the cost. A colonoscopy can be thousands of dollars if you have a high-deductible insurance plan. Cologuard costs about $200 out-of-pocket if insurance won’t cover it, though Champlain says she has seen good results in getting insurance to pay. 

The Cologuard kit is ordered by a doctor and comes with easy-to-read instructions for the patient to use at home to mail in a stool sample. The test looks for signals of cancer that the colon may be giving off, Champlain says. 

If Cologuard comes back positive, then a follow-up colonoscopy is ordered. Champlain says she has not had anyone come back with a false positive and has patients right now who are being treated for colon cancer because of Cologuard.

“We need folks to get this done,” she says, because in addition to colon cancer being the second-deadliest cancer, the majority of people have no symptoms.

Cologuard screenings need to be done every three to five years, Champlain says, and colonoscopies every five to 10 years until age 75.

The Connicks will be issuing a #ScreenWithMe challenge. People 50 and older can pledge to get screened, then invite three of their friends to do the same. For every pledge, Exact Sciences, which makes Cologuard, will donate $1 to cancer research and advocacy. You can learn about the challenge at New50.com/Austin.

Connick says he’s recently workshopped a new musical based on the movie “The Sting,” will be going on tour this summer and thinks a studio album won’t be far off.

Since turning 50 in September, “I physically never felt better,” he says. It’s definitely different than what he thought 50 would feel like when he was young, he says.

“I feel strong. Fifty is different than it used to be.”

Related: Moms, don’t skip your well-checks

THE NEW 50: AN EVENING WITH HARRY CONNICK JR. AND JILL CONNICK