Colonoscopy: The Importance of Getting Checked for Colon Cancer

 A colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon or colorectal cancer screening. A colonoscopy checks for polyps in your large intestine. Polyps are abnormal growths that can develop into cancer over time. Colon and rectal cancers are among the most preventable of all cancers if found early on because they are treatable and curable.

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the United States. Colon cancer often goes unnoticed due to its lack of symptoms in its early stages, which is why it's been referred to as a "silent killer."

How common is colorectal cancer?

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the United States. For 2021, The American Cancer Society estimates there will be over 104,000 new cases of colon cancer and over 45,000 new cases of rectal cancer.

These days, rates of people being diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer each year has gone down in general because more people are getting screened and changing their lifestyle-related risk factors. The incidence of colorectal cancer has been decreasing, but this trend is mostly affecting older adults. In contrast, younger adults have had an increase in colorectal cancer incidence since the mid-1990s. Recently rates of colon cancer increased by two percent every year for people younger than 50. In 2018 The American Cancer Society lowered the colon screening guideline from age 50 to 45 years old because of the rising incidence of colon cancer in the younger population.

A number of other factors can also affect your risk for developing colorectal cancer. Certain ethnic backgrounds such as African Americans and Jews of Eastern European descent have high incidences of getting colon cancer.

Colon Cancer Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that raises your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. A person's age or family history, can't be changed.

Researchers have found that some of the risk factors for colon cancer may contribute to an increased chance of developing polyps, which can in turn lead to colorectal cancer.

Risk factors that that can be changed or controlled include:

• Being overweight or obese

• Not being physically active

• Eating a diet high in red meat and processed meat

• Not eating enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains

• Smoking

• Drinking alcohol 

Risk factors that can’t be changed or controlled include:

• Racial or ethnic background

• Age

• Having type 2 diabetes

• History of colon cancer

• History of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

• Having inherited syndromes such as Lynch Syndrome, Gardner Syndrome, Turcot Syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS) and MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP)

 

Based on your risk factors, talk to you physician about when is the best time and how frequent to schedule your colon screening.

What are the symptoms of colon cancer?

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer include:

• Blood in the stool

• Bleeding from the rectum

• Persistent abdominal or belly pain

• Change in bowel habits

• Unexplained weight loss

• Weakness or fatigue

• Bloating

 

Many people experience no symptoms in the early stages of colon cancer, which is why it should be detected as soon as possible with a colonoscopy. When symptoms do appear, the cancer has already progressed. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your physician today to have them evaluated.

Why is a colonoscopy the best screening to prevent colon cancer?

Early detection increases the likelihood of a cure. A colonoscopy is the only test that can remove polyps during the screening. When polyps are removed, they are removed before they become cancer.

Detecting colon cancer at an early stage is most desirable because that is when it is most curable and more treatment options are available. However, removing polyps during a colonoscopy can stop cancer before it develops.

It's generally recommended to get a colonoscopy by age 45 and every 10 years based on results of the colonoscopy and health history. Gastroenterologists conduct colonoscopies and can recommend if they should be conducted more frequently.

In 2015, a study that was published by Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention identified three distinct hot spots in the United States where colorectal cancer death rates were increased. They were counties in the Lower Mississippi Delta, west central Appalachia and eastern North Carolina and Virginia. 

What is a Gastroenterologist?

A gastroenterologist specializes in gastrointestinal diseases The gastrointestinal system is also called the digestive system. Gastroenterologists have extensive training in performing colonoscopies and perform more colonoscopies than any other specialty. 

Colon cancer or colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. By having a colonoscopy to check for polyps, which are abnormal growths that can develop into cancers over time, you can prevent colon cancer from ever developing. If found early, colon or rectal cancers are preventable, treatable, and curable because they're often caught before symptoms show up. Once symptoms develop, treatment options may be limited. Talk to your doctor about when is the best time to schedule acolonoscopy.

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