To the editor:
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. I urge everyone to discuss screening for colorectal cancer with their physician.
Colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, is preventable and often curable when detected early. In the US, colorectal cancer is the fourth-most-common cancer in men and women, after skin, prostate or breast (respectively) and lung cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be just over 100,000 new cases of colon cancer and 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer in 2013. The lifetime risk for developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 20. It is most common after age 50, but it can occur at younger ages.
Most early colorectal cancers produce no symptoms. Also, most colorectal cancers develop from polyps, which are abnormal growths in the colon. If pre-cancerous polyps grow unnoticed and aren't removed, they may become cancerous. This is why screening for colorectal cancer is so important, and why a screening colonoscopy is a powerful way to prevent colon cancer.
There are several available screening tests. The preferred test is a colorectal cancer prevention test such as a colonoscopy. It is important to talk to your doctor about screening before you have symptoms.
Symptoms may include:
A persistent change in bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation.
Blood with a bowel movement.
Stomach pain, aches or cramps that do not go away.
Nausea or vomiting.
Unexplained weight loss or new onset unexplained fatigue.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state, "If everyone who is 50 years old or older were screened regularly, as many as 60 percent of deaths from this cancer could be avoided."
You can reduce your risk for colorectal cancer by following the ACG screening guidelines. For normal-risk individuals, the ACG recommends colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50, and beginning at age 45 for African Americans. To reduce your risk of cancer in general, eliminate tobacco, increase physical activity, maintain a healthy weight and eat a prudent diet.
Talk with your doctor about screening for colorectal cancer and about which screening test is right for you.
Michael Nosler, M.D.
Colorado Health Medical Center