Colon cancer has made headlines recently because of a puzzling upsurge in cases affecting young women and men.The American Cancer Society (ACS) found that 20% of diagnoses in 2019 were in those under age 55, which was double the rate in 1995.
Rates of advanced colon cancer have increased by around 3% per year in people under age 50. Colon cancer cases among millennials, Gen Z, and even Gens X and Y are on the upswing, too. Researchers estimate that cases of colon cancer in women and men in their 20s and 30s will increase by 90% by 2030.
As part of March’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, our colorectal experts at Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford encourage you to start colonoscopy at age 45, if you’re at average risk. If you’re at higher risk, we may recommend an even earlier start at our offices in Bloomfield, South Windsor, and Plainville, Connecticut.
How can a colonoscopy save your life? Here’s the lowdown.
While you may be tempted to opt for a colon cancer test that doesn’t require laxatives or a visit to your doctor’s office, we recommend against it. Fecal tests look for things like occult blood, which might indicate that you have polyps that have started to bleed, or DNA changes that could indicate cancer. If your fecal test is positive, you must undergo a colonoscopy.
However, fecal tests can’t identify non-bleeding polyps. All polyps — whether they develop into cancer or not — are potentially cancerous. That’s why we remove them if we find one while performing a colonoscopy. We may also excise cancerous lesions from the lining of your colon during the procedure.
After we remove your polyps and other lesions, we send them to a lab for analysis. If none of them are cancerous, then you’re free to go until your next colonoscopy. You can rest assured that you don’t have any precancerous lesions; they’ve already been removed. You’ve been treated.
If the polyps show cancerous changes, or if we excised a cancer, we’ve already removed them, so part of your treatment is complete. We then refer you to an oncologist for further therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiation.
The sooner we find any cancer in your colon, the more likely it is that we can cure it. That’s why it doesn’t pay to delay colonoscopy.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancers caught in their earliest stages is 90%. The ACS states that deaths from colon cancer could be cut in half if women and men were routinely tested.
While you can never be at zero risk for colon cancer, you can take steps to reduce your risk and improve your odds if you ever do develop it. In addition to undergoing regular colonoscopies based on your risk assessment, if you change your diet to shift away from ultra-processed foods and toward fresh, whole foods, your colon health may improve.
Sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods are strongly linked to an increased risk for colon cancer. Instead, base your diet around:
Other habits that can raise your risk for colon cancer include smoking and drinking alcohol. If you need help quitting substances to improve your colon health, let us know, and we can refer you to a cessation program.
By the time you (may or may not) develop symptoms of colon cancer, the disease has already progressed. Treatment may be more invasive. A cure is less likely in later stages of the disease.
We recommend your colonoscopy screening schedule based on your personal and family medical history. These determine your degree of risk:
Start screening at age 45; repeat colonoscopy every 10 years.
Start screening before age 45; repeat colonoscopy every three years.
Start screening eight years after diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); repeat colonoscopy every 1-3 years.
However, if you do develop symptoms that need investigation before your scheduled colonoscopy, call us immediately. Many other conditions have similar symptoms; you deserve to know what’s hampering your health and find the right treatment to get you back on track.
To book your colonoscopy today, phone our helpful team at the office nearest you (Bloomfield, South Windsor, or Plainville, Connecticut), or schedule an appointment online.
