Colon cancer is one of the most common kinds of gastrointestinal cancer. Even though major breakthroughs have been made in understanding colon cancer, prevention methods are still experimental and will not be available for many years. The gastrointestinal specialists at GI Associates stay up to date on new methods, diagnosis or treatment options and implement them as quickly as possible. There are virtually no symptoms to detect colorectal cancer early other than having a colon cancer screening exam.
Am I At Risk For Colon Cancer?
While anyone can get colon cancer some things create a higher risk for people.
- Colon cancer in more common in men and woman over the age of 40 and that risk doubles after you reach 50. Men tend to develop more polyps than women and there is a higher risk of those polyps developing into colorectal cancer.
- Having a family history of polyps in the colon puts you at a higher risk.
- Having an inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis.
- If your diet is high in fat and low in fiber you may be at risk, or if your diet is high in smoked and salt or nitrite-cured foods.
- Heavy drinkers seem to be more at risk and this risk increases if you are a smoker as well.
- Smoking increases the risk of various gastrointestinal cancers including stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer and smokeless tobacco increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus.
What Causes Colon Cancer?
Colon cancer starts primarily from polyps. Polyps are an abnormal growth that forms on the inner walls of the colon and that sticks out into the colon passageway. These polyps can be benign, or not cancerous; pre-cancerous or cancerous. The cancerous polyps are what cause colorectal cancer. Most of the polyps found are not cancerous, however they may contain cancerous cells so it is best to have these removed if your gastroenterologist thinks its necessary. Polyp removal is an important tool in preventing colon cancer.
How Do You Check For Colon Cancer?
There are various colon cancer screening exams that a gastroenterologist can perform, however the most common is the colonoscopy. A colonoscopy exam is an exam that allows the gastroenterologist to examine the rectum and the entire colon. An endoscope, which is a lighted, flexible instrument used to see the inside of the digestive tract, is gently eased inside the colon. The endoscope allows the gastroenterologist to see everything in the colon and to look for polyps and determine if they are pre-cancerous or cancerous. If they are, then they will be removed as soon as possible.
The key to preventing polyps from forming and getting colon cancer to be have regular colon cancer screening exams. Call the gastrointestinal specialists at GI Associates to find out when you should make an appointment for one.