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Colorectal Cancer Facts
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The information below is from the Colon Cancer Alliance web site www.ccalliance.org and the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org.
If you have questions about the type of colon cancer screening you should get, talk to your health care provider.
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Colorectal cancer or colon cancer involves the large bowel, rectum, anus and appendix.
Certain symptoms may indicate colon cancer.
If you have any of these listed, please contact your health care provider:
Blood in the stool
A change in bowel habits
Persistent diarrhea or constipation
Narrower than normal stools
Unexplained weight loss
Constant tiredness
Feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
Abdominal discomfort: gas, bloating, fullness, cramps
Unexplained anemia
Persistent vomiting
Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer of men and women in the United States.
9 in 10 new cases are people 50 or older. However, colorectal cancer does not discriminate and can happen to men and women at any age.
In most cases, colon and rectum cancers develop slowly over a period of several years. We now know that most of these cancers begin as a polyp--a growth of tissue into the center of the colon or rectum. A type of polyp known as adenoma can become cancerous. Removing the polyp early may prevent it from becoming cancer.
Polyps in the colon
The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 104,950 new cases of colon cancer and 40,340 new cases of rectal cancer in 2005 in the United States. Combined, they will cause about 56,290 deaths.
The death rate from colorectal cancer has been going down for the past 15 years. One reason is that there are fewer cases. Thanks to colorectal cancer screening, polyps can be found and removed before they turn into cancer. And colorectal cancer can also be found earlier when it is easier to treat and possibly cure.
People who fall in the category of "Average Risk" should start proper screening at age 50. Those of "higher risk" population should begin earlier. Your health care provider can tell you when.
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