Colon cancer: Are you at risk?

Colon cancer is one of the most common male and female cancers in the United States. It's important to understand your risk of developing the disease and the lifestyle you can change now to reduce your chances of developing colon cancer.

Colorectal or colon cancer usually begins with small cells called adenomatous polyps. Usually, these small polyps form in your colon and produce very few symptoms, if any. If they are not removed, they may sometimes become cancerous. This is why doctors recommend routine screening to identify and eliminate polyps as a problem.

One of the best ways to prevent colon cancer death is to show it regularly. Because more than 90% of all colorectal cancers occur in people 50 years of age and older, the American Cancer Society recommends that you begin routine colon screening at age 50. If you have a family history of this disease, your doctor may suggest that you start screening early.

The three most common screening methods for colon cancer include stool examination, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Your doctor will advise you how often you should take these checks.

In addition to age, there are other risk factors that may make you more susceptible to colon cancer. Some of these factors include:

• Race
• African Americans are at higher risk of developing this disease than people of other races
• Family history
• The risk of parents, siblings and children of people diagnosed with colon cancer is higher than the incidence of ordinary people.
• Personal history of polyps or cancer
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• The two most common conditions are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
• High fat, low fiber diet
• Obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Diabetes
• smokes
• Use a lot of alcohol

While some of the risk factors [such as race and age] cannot be changed, there are some lifestyle changes that you can take to reduce your chances of developing such cancers. Keep in mind that just because you have one or more of these risks does not mean you will develop colon cancer. You should discuss these risk factors with your doctor so that he or she can provide adequate screening and advice on a healthy lifestyle.

Many people show little, if any, symptoms of colon cancer in the early stages of the disease. As the disease progresses, patients may notice unexplained weight loss, persistent abdominal discomfort, altered bowel habits, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, weakness or excessive fatigue. The only way to truly understand if you have colon cancer is through screening and screening by your doctor.

The good news is that colorectal cancer is usually highly treatable. The key to survival is to identify and remove polyps early before they become cancer. Those patients whose cancers were discovered as early as the onset of the disease have a very high 5-year survival rate. With more awareness of colon cancer screening, the mortality rate of this disease continues to decline.

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