Colon cancer is one of the most deadly cancers in humans after lung cancer. And yet it does not get enough attention or awareness of people. According to the American Cancer Society, each year 1,300,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States, and the number of deaths from the disease is about 560,000 cases per year.
The vast majority of these cases could have been avoided if early detection methods, which have become routine routines in the Western world, have been applied.
Most patients avoid early screening of the colon either because they do not know about the existence of such tests or because they are ashamed to discuss the subject with the doctor or the unexplained fear of screening. Part of the blame is placed on us as physicians if we do not adequately educate our patients about the importance of early detection of colon cancer.
The lack of early detection is tragic because colorectal cancer begins in the form of benign, non-cancerous polyps. These polyps remain benign for about 10 years. Meanwhile, the patient does not complain of any complaint in his or her abdomen (without symptoms).
After this period, some of these appendages (5-10% of the appendages), especially Adenoma, become cancerous cells that begin to grow gradually until they become cancerous. Over time, the malignant tumor can begin to spread outside the colon wall to the lymph nodes or to distant parts of the body, such as the liver and others. The problem is that the symptoms of this disease appear very late after becoming a cancer, which reduces the chance of full recovery. Therefore, the patient should not wait for symptoms such as blood in the stool, abdominal pain or a change in the defecation pattern to be seen by the doctor. But it has to detect early to search for the benefits of benign flesh and remove them first and not to turn in the future to tumors cancerous malignant and in this way can prevent colorectal cancer and cure in more than 90% of cases.
The best way to completely examine the colon is the colonoscope.
Laparoscopy usually works after giving the patient a small dose of anesthetic so as not to feel any discomfort during the examination. The importance of this examination is that it is the only test that can prevent the occurrence of colon cancer by removing polyps before they turn into cancer. Therefore, the patient who continues to perform this examination every 5-10 years (according to the recommendations of the global medical) after the age of 50 years, it can be assured that he will not have colon cancer, . This is because the vast majority of colon cancers begin in the form of appendicitis to a benign diet. Therefore, the search and removal of these follicles periodically prevents the progression of the disease to colon cancer. Scientists believe that colonoscopy starting at the age of 50 years every 10 years is sufficient as the rate of growth of the polyps is slow and the duration of the onset of the emergence of the excess meat to become cancer by about 12-14 years.
Western studies showed that 25-40% of people over the age of 50 who underwent early screening without any symptoms or any medical complaint showed that they had benign polyps. This is a significant percentage if we know that 5-10% of those tumors turn into cancer if left in the colon without removing the endoscope.
Early detection of colon cancer can save your life
- If you have reached the age of fifty years, you should initiate this examination. This is true of men and women. Studies have shown that polyps and colon cancers increase significantly after 50 years of age. After the first examination at the age of 50 years, the examination is repeated periodically every 5-10 years
- If you have a family history of first-degree relatives (parents, siblings or children) with colorectal cancer, polyps, breast, ovarian, uterine or prostate cancers, you may be at risk of colon cancer. 40 years), as it has been shown that genetic factors play an important role in the emergence of disease in relatives.
- If you have chronic ulcerative colitis, you should begin early detection of colorectal cancer after the onset of the disease 7-13 years, depending on the degree of disease in the patient, and these are determined by the gastroenterologist therapist.
- If you have previously had polyps in your colon or have had colon cancer, you should do a colonoscopy every 3 years for life to make sure you do not reappear in future.
There may be no symptoms of colon cancer in its early stages, which confirms the importance of early screening before the onset of symptoms.
- Fecal appearance of faeces.
- Sudden change in defecation pattern.
- Pain in the abdomen especially if accompanied by anemia or weight loss.
- Conduct the periodic early examination mentioned above
- Eat rich in fiber and low fat
- Sport regularly
- Quit Smoking
- Refrain from alcohol
- Avoid weight gain
Dr.. Fadi Diab