Colorectal Cancer
What is colorectal cancer?
Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in the colon or rectum. It may also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer. The name is based on where it starts. Your colon and rectum make up your large intestine (large bowel). This is part of your digestive system. It is also called the gastrointestinal (GI) system.
Colorectal cancer can affect men and women of all ethnic and racial groups. It is most often found in people 50 years old or older. It is the second top cancer killer of cancers that affect both men and women.
Risk Factors
Your risk of colorectal cancer gets higher as you get older. About 90% of cases are in people 50 years old and older. Lifestyle choices that can also raise your risk of colorectal cancer:
Lack of routine physical activity.
A diet high in processed meats.
Low fruit and vegetable intake.
A low-fiber, high-fat diet.
Other risk factors are having:
An inflammatory bowel disease. This means Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps.
Certain genetic syndromes. This means things like:
Symptoms
Many people with colorectal cancer have no symptoms in early stages. When symptoms do appear, they may differ. Symptoms often depend on the cancer’s size and location. Some symptoms are:
Lasting changes in your bowel habits. This means things like diarrhea or constipation. It also means a change in the firmness of your stool (feces).
Rectal bleeding. Or blood in your stool.
Abdominal discomfort that lasts. This means things like cramps, gas, or pain.
Feeling like your bowel doesn’t empty fully.
Weakness or fatigue.
Weight loss with no reason for it.
If you notice that you have any lasting symptoms, talk to your doctor.
Screening and Testing for Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the third top cause of cancer-linked deaths in men and women in the U.S. It’s also the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and women around the world. Routine screening can help prevent and find colorectal cancer early.
If you have an average risk of getting colon cancer, it’s recommended that you start routine screening at age 45. If you’re in good health, it’s recommended that you do routine screening through age 75. If you are 76 to 85 years old, ask your doctor if you should get screened.
If you don’t have a doctor, we can help you find one. Call us at 866-833-5717. Or find one online at coaccess.com. There is a link to our directory on the homepage of our website.
Screening can help your doctor find precancerous polyps. These can be removed before they turn into cancer. Polyps are growths in your colon or rectum that are not normal.
Screening can also help your doctor find colorectal cancer at an early stage when it can be more easily treated. About nine out of every 10 people whose colorectal cancers were found early and were treated appropriately are still alive five years later.
Take control of your health by knowing your screening and testing choices.
Understanding Your Personal Risk
Risk factors are things that raise your chances of getting a disease, like colorectal cancer. Some risk factors can be changed. This means things like lifestyle choices. Others can’t be changed. This means things like your age, sex, and race.
Age: Your risk of colorectal cancer goes up as you get older. It’s much more common to get it after age 50. Rates are going up in people younger than 50, but it’s not clear why.
Sex: Colorectal cancer affects men more than women. Overall, your lifetime risk of colorectal cancer is about 1 in 23 if you’re a man and 1 in 25 if you’re a woman.
Race: Some ethnic and racial groups have a higher risk.
Blacks are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer. They are also about 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups.
Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of Eastern European descent) have the highest colorectal cancer risk of any ethnic group in the world.
Read more here about cancer cases and deaths across the U.S. and in Colorado.