Screening tests for colorectal cancer can save 30,000 lives each year. When detected early, colorectal cancer is easily treated and often curable. Knowing if you are at risk, and what you can do to prevent colorectal cancer is important to keeping yourself healthy.
Don’t ignore the symptoms of colorectal cancer, which include feeling bloated or full in the stomach, gas pains, decreased appetite, weakness and fatigue, significant weight loss, unexplained change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, or blood in the stool. Being in tune with your body, and not ignoring the warning signs can save your life.
The death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping for the past 15 years. One reason for this is screening exams are finding polyps before they develop into cancer.
My mother was not so lucky. She overlooked what her body was telling her and never told her doctors the concerns she was having. She was too embarrassed to get a colonoscopy, and instead went months dealing with pain and bleeding. By the time they found out what was going on, she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She fought hard; however, she passed away six months later.
My mom should have gone to her doctor and been checked for colon cancer. It could have saved her life.
These steps can help lower your risk of colorectal cancer:
• Get regular screenings starting at age 50, unless you have risk factors. Colonoscopy is the “gold standard.”
• Know the risk factors and symptoms of colorectal cancer, regardless of your age; it is easier to treat when detected early.
• Eat a low-fat diet.
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Eat foods with folate, such as green, leafy vegetables. A daily multivitamin containing 0.4 milligrams of folic acid also may be helpful.
• If you drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. If you use tobacco, quit - and if you don’t use tobacco, don’t start. Alcohol and tobacco in combination are linked to colorectal and to other gastrointestinal cancers.
• Exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four days each week. Moderate exercise such as walking or bicycling may reduce your risk.
Screening for colorectal cancer by getting a colonoscopy can save your life. Spread the word - colon cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable.
Janet Newman, a registered nurse and certified gastroenterology registered nurse, is clinical manager of endoscopy at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center. Questions for our clinicians? Please send them to info@saintpatrick.org.
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