Five Steps to Colon Health

3/19/2018

An easy formula to promote prevention, awareness of common cancer

Cancer of the colon is the third most common cancer in the United States – and, caught early, it’s also one of the most curable. About 90 percent of individuals whose cancer is found before it has spread survive five years after diagnosis. But, if not caught at this point, the five-year survival rate is about 11 percent.

Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine, the lower part of the digestive system. Most cases begin silently, as a polyp that causes few symptoms. Five simple steps can protect your health.

1. Get tested
All adults over age 50 should begin routine colon cancer screenings. The American Cancer Society’s (ACS) screening guidelines stress prevention as the primary goal and steer providers and patients toward those tests with the highest potential to prevent cancer.

The recommendations include two tests: those that find cancer, and those that can find precancerous growths (also known as polyps). ACS recommends those tests that actually examine the interior of the colon because they can not only detect cancer, but also prevent it by finding – and removing – polyps or growths that can potentially cause cancer. These tests include a flexible signoidoscopy (every five years); a colonoscopy (every 10 years); a double contrast barium enema (every five years); or a CT colonography or virtual colonoscopy (every five years). Polyps found during these tests can be removed on the spot, simply and painlessly.

Testing options that look for evidence of actual cancer, include three types of stool tests – an annual fecal occult blood test, the annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT), and a periodic stool DNA test.

2. Develop awareness
Know the risk factors associated with colon problems:

• Advancing age, i.e., over age 50.
• A high-fat diet.
• A family (i.e., sibling or parent) or personal history of colorectal cancer.
• A history of polyps or growths inside the colon and rectum.
• Certain conditions that elevate your risk, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
• Diabetes - People with diabetes have a 40 percent increased risk of colon cancer.
• Ethic background - African Americans have the highest number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States.

3. Know the symptoms
Be vigilant about scheduled screenings, and if you have certain symptoms, see your doctor sooner. Symptoms may include persistent stomach discomfort, a change in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or a change in stool consistency), abdominal pain accompanying a bowel movement, dark stools, weakness or fatigue, unexplained weight loss, or blood in the stool.

Symptoms vary, and certain foods or medications can also mimic these symptoms. It’s best to err on the safe side and check with your doctor about changes.

4. Practice prevention
Maintaining a healthy weight may help lower your risk. A balanced diet, regular exercise and smart lifestyle choices will also keep your risk level in check. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains provides the nutrients and antioxidants that fight disease. Low-fat dairy products and limited consumption of red meat keep your saturated fat intake low.

Getting your vitamins and minerals through a daily supplement helps, but food-based vitamins are more effective and more easily absorbed by the body. Regular exercise – at least 30 minutes most days of the week – helps build your body’s defenses. Finally, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption help, too.

5. Know your options
Talk with your doctor about the best way to manage your risk. If you have an above-average risk for colon cancer or an initial test reveals polyps, you and your doctor can decide the course of action that works best for you.

Talk with your doctor at about the resources available to you and learn the best way to manage your risk.

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