This month marks Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and experts say that “colon cancer is one of the most common in Israel – in men and women. In recent years it is attacking more and more young people – who until now were not considered a risk group.”
How is colon cancer caused?
The onset of colorectal cancer is usually in the polyps. A polyp is a fleshy bump that grows from the inner wall of the colon into the intestinal cavity. There are different types of polyps and they are very common in adults aged 50 and over: one in four 50-year-olds already have one or more polyps in the colon. The existence of the polyp cannot be felt, the only way to identify it is by examination and it is important to excise it and thereby almost completely prevent the risk of developing colon cancer.
What are the symptoms?
Once there are one or more of the following symptoms (symptoms) one should check for the suspicion that it is colon cancer: blood in the ports. Changes in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation) that last more than six weeks, and have no clear cause, unexplained weight loss, recurring new abdominal pain, feeling of incomplete emptying after ejaculation, anemia. Colon cancer is one of the few malignancies that can be detected early, even before they break out. The two main means of early detection are a faecal occult blood test and a colonoscopy.
• Fecal occult blood test
The test is designed to check for hidden and invisible bleeding. The idea behind the test is that polyps in the digestive tract tend to bleed. If the fecal occult blood test is positive, there is a suspicion that there is a polyp in the digestive tract that may develop into colon cancer.
• Colonoscopy examination
A colonoscope is an endoscopic tool that allows early diagnosis of colon cancer. The test allows a direct look into the intestinal cavity. A colonoscopy allows you to do the following: look for polyps, take a photo of the bowel, remove or burn benign tumors without the need for surgery, and take tissue samples to diagnose the tumor.
• What are the risk factors for colon cancer?
The five main factors are:
- Excessive consumption of red meat and animal fat and low consumption of foods high in dietary fiber.
- smoking.
- obesity.
- Lack of exercise.
- Excessive alcohol consumption.
Proper monitoring can lower the risk of advanced tumor detection and save life and morbidity in young people requiring clarification of hereditary factors. Tumor growth grows from a precancerous lesion – so it is very important to identify the populations at risk and offer them screening tests accordingly.
It is important to note that not only a family history of colon cancer in a relative under the age of 50 is a risk factor, but also a family history of breast, uterine, ovarian, kidney, gastric, pancreatic, small intestine and brain can be linked. The recommendation for patients with a family history of a malignant disease, especially when it comes to a relative diagnosed at a young age is, to seek genetic counseling and clarification.
Patients with chronic intestinal inflammation are also at risk and need to assess the condition of the bowel according to the duration of the disease, the extent of bowel involvement and the activity of the disease. These patients are advised to be regularly monitored in gastrointestinal clinics and to follow the instructions of the attending physician. Providing drug treatment to balance inflammation.
Experts suggest: For the non-at-risk population, from the age of 50 it is important for women and men to perform a stool blood test once a year to prevent the development of colon cancer or to detect it early. If the result is positive, the clarification must be continued by a colonoscopy. High-risk population Colonoscopy should be performed according to the doctor’s instructions. Proper monitoring can reduce the risk of advanced tumor detection and save lives.