Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among adults in the United States.
Rates of colorectal cancer in people ages 20 to 49 have increased the past several decades.
Healthcare professionals now recommend people start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 45.
At a meeting at the White House, health and business leaders discussed the way to increase these screenings.
There was a real sense of urgency and purpose at a White House meeting Tuesday that focused on how to get people to return to their pre-pandemic rate of colorectal cancer screening.
In May, as part of the reignited Cancer Moonshot trusted, first lady Jill Biden announced a call to action regarding the nearly 10 million cancer screenings in the United States that were missed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, officials with Fight Colorectal Cancer assembled a work group of colorectal cancer survivors, patient advocates, and business leaders at the White House to share ideas about this issue.
Black Americans are about 20%Trusted Source more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from the disease than most other groups, according to The American Cancer Society.
While rates of colorectal cancer in older adults have decreased over the past several decades, rates are increasing in younger adults.
There was a 51 percent increase in cases of colorectal cancer in people between the ages of 20 and 49 from 1994 to 2012.
By 2030, researchers predict that colorectal cancer will be the leading cause of cancer deaths in that younger demographic.
Those statistics are part of the reason that healthcare professionals recommend that people start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 45.
Signs and symptoms of colon cancer include:
- A persistent change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool
- rectal bleeding or blood in your stool
- persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain
- a feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely
- weakness or fatigue
- unexplained weight loss
many people with colon cancer experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in your large intestine.
when to see a doctor
if you notice any persistent symptoms that worry you, make an appointment with your doctor.
causes
doctors aren't certain what causes most colon cancers.
In general, colon cancer begins when healthy cells in the colon develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains a set of instructions that tell a cell what to do.
Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But when a cell's DNA is damaged and becomes cancerous, cells continue to divide — even when new cells aren't needed. As the cells accumulate, they form a tumor.
With time, the cancer cells can grow to invade and destroy normal tissue nearby. And cancerous cells can travel to other parts of the body to form deposits there (metastasis).
Risk factors
factors that may increase your risk of colon cancer include:
- Older age. Colon cancer can be diagnosed at any age, but a majority of people with colon cancer are older than 50. The rates of colon cancer in people younger than 50 have been increasing, but doctors aren't sure why.
- african-American race. African-Americans have a greater risk of colon cancer than do people of other races.
- a personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps. If you've already had colon cancer or noncancerous colon polyps, you have a greater risk of colon cancer in the future.
- inflammatory intestinal conditions. Chronic inflammatory diseases of the colon, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, can increase your risk of colon cancer.
- inherited syndromes that increase colon cancer risk. Some gene mutations passed through generations of your family can increase your risk of colon cancer significantly. Only a small percentage of colon cancers are linked to inherited genes. The most common inherited syndromes that increase colon cancer risk are familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndrome, which is also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).
- family history of colon cancer. You're more likely to develop colon cancer if you have a blood relative who has had the disease. If more than one family member has colon cancer or rectal cancer, your risk is even greater.
- low-fiber, high-fat diet. Colon cancer and rectal cancer may be associated with a typical Western diet, which is low in fiber and high in fat and calories. Research in this area has had mixed results. Some studies have found an increased risk of colon cancer in people who eat diets high in red meat and processed meat.
- a sedentary lifestyle. People who are inactive are more likely to develop colon cancer. Getting regular physical activity may reduce your risk of colon cancer.
- diabetes People with diabetes or insulin resistance have an increased risk of colon cancer.
- obesity People who are obese have an increased risk of colon cancer and an increased risk of dying of colon cancer when compared with people considered normal weight.
- smoking People who smoke may have an increased risk of colon cancer.
- alcohol Heavy use of alcohol increases your risk of colon cancer.
- radiation therapy for cancer Radiation therapy directed at the abdomen to treat previous cancers increases the risk of colon cancer.
Nice article
You must be logged in to post a comment.