What is the colon and what is colorectal cancer?
Let’s start with what does the colon and rectum do. It’s part of your gastro-intestinal track The colon’s real function is reabsorbing a significant amount of water and electrolytes so that the stool is forming in the large intestine. The rectum is the connection between the colon and the anus. The rectum houses the stool until it’s ready to pass. Colon and rectal cancer is when you develop abnormal growths that usually begin as polyps. They form on the inner lining of the colon and rectum, so you really can’t feel them in the early stage and you may not have any signs and symptoms. This is why a screening tool is so important in detecting these growths early.
How common is colorectal cancer?
It’s the third leading cause of cancer in men and women, and third-leading cause of cancer deaths. There are 130,000 new cases of colon cancer each year, and 50,000 deaths. This is a significant health issue for our country.
Can colon cancer be prevented?
Absolutely. We can start by modifying the way we live. What can we change about our lifestyle to reduce our risk of developing colon and rectal cancer? Our diet is related to our risk of developing cancer. A lot of red meat and processed foods, not enough fruits and vegetables, not enough grains, this is not a good diet. We want to reduce the red meat in our diet, increase the fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Get your proteins through other sources, like fish and beans. There are ways to change our diet which is good for not only colon and rectal health, but also for cardiovascular and also for trying to maintain a good weight. It really pays to exercise. There’s data that shows 3-4 hours of exercise every week can reduce your risk of developing colon and rectal cancer – that’s thought to be due to increases in gastric motility so it helps get all of the toxins out. It’s not healthy to be overweight or obese – that’s also a risk factor. Those are some of the modifiable things, along with smoking, that we can do to reduce our risk.
Is there a screening that can be completed to see if I am at risk?
There can be abnormal growths called polyps on the inner lining of the colon and rectum. You won’t feel the polyps or know that they are there. They start off benign – but over time can transform to a cancerous lesion. A colonoscopy is a screening tool where a scope inserted into the rectum and it evaluates the entire rectum and colon, looking for polyps, which, if found, can usually be removed during the same visit. If you have a screening at the age of 50 and have no polyps, because this is such a long process, if you have no other risk factors, your GI doctor may tell you that you don’t have to come back for a decade. However, if you have a family history or if polyps were found, you’d have to come back sooner for another screening.
What are the symptoms that I should be looking for and need to see a healthcare provider for?
A change in bowel habits. If your stool suddenly becomes narrow, or different in size and caliber. If you suddenly have diarrhea or constipation and you’ve never been plagued by that. If you’ve developed bleeding and seeing blood in the stool or on the toilet paper, don’t just write it off as hemorrhoids. You need to be evaluated. Are you having fatigue or weakness? Sometimes you don’t know that you’re losing blood and becoming anemic. If you are feeling fatigued and weak and just don’t have the same energy, that can mean a whole host of issues for which you should seek medical attention.
Where can I go to obtain more information?
The American Cancer Society has done an outstanding job of detailing statistics, signs, symptoms, procedures, screenings, diagnosis and treatment options for colon and rectal cancer – I think it’s a fabulous place to start.
What is your overall feeling about how we are treating cancer – it has gotten a lot better in the last 20 years, hasn’t it?
I think we are making amazing progress in this field. The research is phenomenal. The targeted therapies that are developing, the new surgical procedures that are less invasive… In my field, the way that I treat certain cancers is dramatically different than when I came out of training. It is more precise, it has less side effects. I am thrilled to be an oncologist in this era.