Colorectal Cancer - "The Silent Killer"
Colorectal Cancer is a leading cancer killer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that in United States 112,340 cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the current year and 52,180 deaths will occur.
Fortunately, colorectal cancer is easily detectable with screening techniques that can catch the cancer when it is still treatable.
As your body develops, cells of all types form and create the tissues and organs of the body. When development is complete, rapid cell multiplication stops and new cells are produced only as needed. Cancer develops with a cell continues to grow without normal control and gains the ability to invade other tissues. When this occurs in the lining of the large intestine, it is called colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancers most often begin as benign polyps which later develop into cancers.
Colorectal cancer includes cancers of the colon, rectum, appendix and anus. When abnormal cell growth occurs, a tumor develops. If the cells of a tumor acquire the ability to invade and thus spread into the intestinal wall and to other sites, a malignant or cancerous tumor develops. Most colorectal cancers develop first as colorectal polyps, which are growths inside the colon or rectum that may later become cancerous.
Colon cancer, when discovered early, is highly treatable. Even if it spreads into nearby lymph nodes, surgical treatment followed by chemotherapy is highly successful. In the most difficult cases — when the cancer has metastasized to the liver, lungs or other sites — treatment can prolong and add to the quality of life.
Risk Factors
Age: Although colorectal cancer can strike at any age, more than 9 in 10 new cases are in people aged 50 or older.
Gender: Colorectal cancer affects both men and women.
Ethnic Background and Race: Because of disproportionate screening, minorities, particularly African-Americans and Hispanics, are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in advanced stages. As a result, death rates are higher for these populations. Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) may also have a higher rate of colon cancer.
Personal History of Bowel Disease: A personal history of colon cancer or intestinal polyps, and diseases such as chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease increase a person’s chance of developing colorectal cancer.
Diet and Exercise: A diet made up mostly of foods that are high in fat, especially from animal sources, can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. People who are not active have a higher risk of colorectal cancer.
Smoking and Alcohol: Recent studies show that smokers are 30% to 40% more likely than nonsmokers to die of colorectal cancer. Heavy use of alcohol has also been linked to colorectal cancer.
Family History/Genetic Factors: A person who has a specific inherited gene syndrome (such as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) or Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC) is at increased risk for developing colorectal cancer. People with a strong family history of colorectal cancer (as defined by cancer or polyps in a first-degree relative younger than 60 or two first-degree relatives of any age) are also at increased risk for developing colorectal cancer.
Diagnosis
If you or a loved one experience symptoms, have a family history of colorectal cancer, or are 50 years old and older, make an appointment with your family physician, a gastroenterologist, a physician specially trained in the management of digestive system disorders, or a colon and rectal surgeon, a specialist in treatment of diseases of the colon. Colon cancer is preventable if caught early. Screening can finds polyps before they become cancer.
If more than one member in a family has colon or rectal cancer, there is a small possibility that there is a genetic syndrome involved. Only 10% of colorectal cancers are hereditary.
Source: www.ccalliace.org The Colon Cancer Alliance