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March is colorectal cancer awareness month and medical professionals are urging people to get screened at a younger age, warning that deaths could top 52,000 this year, as they stress prevention and lifestyle changes.
With March being colorectal cancer awareness month, it’s the time of year when medical professionals encourage people to get screened and want people to be aware of new guidelines and screenings according to age.
While many people have heard it said that routine screenings should begin at age 50, guidelines have changed, and are now encouraging people in their 40s to get screened.
Dr. Michael Barry is the vice-chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, a panel of national experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine. He and other doctors are trying to raise awareness, ABC reports.
To that end, the USPSTF now recommends routine screenings begin at age 45.
“Fortunately, we know that screening for colorectal cancer is effective and saves lives,” Barry said.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is expected to claim 52,000 lines this year.
Here are several ways you can reduce your risk of colon cancer.
Visit your healthcare provider and schedule a routine colonoscopy. There are several testing options, depending on your risk factors, some may require testing every ten years, while some people should be screened yearly.
In general, medical experts recommend eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, while reducing your intake of beef, pork, and processed meats.
Avoid obesity (a body mass index, BMI, of greater than 30), which increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Obesity-associated colorectal cancer is the most common in men.
You can significantly reduce your risk of colon cancer by 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily.
Tobacco products contain at least 70 chemicals associated with causing cancer. One medical study published in that gastroenterology Journal found smokers have a 48% higher risk of colon cancer than those who never smoked.
Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer, is a treatable disease and over 200,000 cases are diagnosed in the US each year, according to the Mayo Clinic. It occurs at the colon or rectum, located at the digestive tract’s lower end.
As part of the disease process, early cases can begin as noncancerous polyps. Polyps often begin as small, noncancerous clumps of cells that form inside the colon. These often have no symptoms but can be detected by screening. Over time, the polyps can become cancerous.
Doctors recommend regular screening tests to identify and remove polyps before they become cancerous.
Although symptoms will vary depending on the size and the location of cancer, common symptoms include changes in stool consistency, blood in the stool, abdominal discomfort, or changes in bowel habits.
Common treatment includes surgical removal of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, chemotherapy drug treatments, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
