Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Kaley Smith, MHA, Chief Executive Officer, Coastal Gateway Health Center

March is colorectal cancer awareness month!  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.  There are an estimated 140,000 Americans diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. 

What is colorectal cancer? 

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon) or rectum, the lower part of your digestive system.  It is often called colon cancer, for short.  There are sometimes abnormal growths, called polyps, that form in the colon or rectum, and over time these polyps may turn into cancer.     

What are the risk factors? 

Quite simply, the risk of colon cancer increases with age.  More than 90% of colorectal cancers occur in individuals aged 50 and older.  Precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer do not always cause symptoms, especially at first.  You could have polyps or cancer and not even know it.  Other risk factors include having inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, or a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch Syndrome.  Research has shown that lifestyle factors may contribute to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, which include lack of regular physical activity, a diet low in fruits and vegetables, being overweight, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.

What can you do to decrease your risk? 

Be physically active and maintain a healthy weight and decrease or stop alcohol and tobacco use.  Most importantly, get screened for colorectal cancer and continue regular screenings as often as recommended by your healthcare provider.  If you are between the ages of 50 and 75, get screened regularly.  If you are younger than 50 or older than 75 and at an increased risk, ask your healthcare provider if you should be screened. 

What are the symptoms?  

Some people with colorectal polyps or cancer do have symptoms, they may include:  blood in or on your stool (bowel movement), stomach pains, aches, or cramps that do not go away, or unexplained weight loss.  Precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer do not always cause symptoms, especially at first, which is why screening is so important.

How to get screened? 

Today, there are several different screening methods to find polyps or colorectal cancer.  There are several screening tests that your healthcare professional can provide that allows the patient to complete the test in the privacy of your own home using a stool sample, including the Guaiac-based Fecal Occult Blood Test (gFOBT), Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), and the FIT-DNA Test.  These screening tests are considered non-invasive and are usually completed once a year.  There are several screening tests that require the patient to undergo general anesthesia in an outpatient surgery setting, such as a colonoscopy or a flexible sigmoidoscopy.    

Which test is right for you? 

There is no single ‘best test’ for any person, each test has advantages and disadvantages.  The best option is to talk to your healthcare provider to determine which test or tests are right for you and how often you should be screened. 

Coastal Gateway Health Center can be reached by phone at 409.296.4444 or by email at [email protected].  For more information regarding our services and programs, please visit our website at www.coastalgatewayhc.org or find and follow us on Facebook.  We are proud to be #yourcommunityhealthcenter.