Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U. S. (Lung cancer is the first.)
11 percent of deaths from cancer in the U. S. in 2000 were due to colorectal cancer.
About 90 percent of people diagnosed with colon cancer are over age 50.
HIGH-RISK FACTORS INCLUDE:
1) Family history
2) A diet low in fiber and high in fat (mostly from animal sources)
3) Obesity and/or inactivity
4) Personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis
People suffering from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis for more than 20 years are at more than twice the risk for colorectal cancer than the average person their age.
SYMPTOMS OF COLORECTAL CANCER MAY INCLUDE:
1) Rectal bleeding
2) Blood in the stool
3) A change in bowel habits
4) Abdominal, rectal, or liver pain
5) Feeling of fatigue, loss of weight, or decreased appetite
However, in many cases there are no overt symptoms.
Doctors recommend that all people over 50 receive some type of screening, at least an annual FOBT, or fecal occult blood test.
The American College of Gastroenterology recommends that people over 50 receive a colonoscopy at least once every 10 years, as well as an FOBT and a flexible sigmoid-oscopy once every five years.
Patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease are at particularly high risk and should undergo colonoscopy at least once every two years.