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Were you born in the 1990s?
According to statistics, then you have two times the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer than those born in 1950.
Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer. And one of the most concerning things of all? The symptoms of colon cancer can be no symptoms at all.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and leaders and experts across the nation are joining forces to ensure that this major health issue is resolved one person at a time.
Colon cancer (cancer of the colon) and rectal cancer (cancer in the rectum) together form colorectal, which is half of all new colorectal cancer diagnoses found in people 66 or younger, according to the https://coloncancercoalition.org/.
Described as the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death, colorectal cancer can impact men and women equally, and people of all races and nationalities.
“While anyone can be afflicted by colorectal cancer, we know that this illness strikes at a disproportionate rate among Black Americans as well as Americans over the age of 50,” President Joe Biden said during a Proclamation on National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
According to https://healthmatters.nyp.org/, Black people are about 20 percent more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 40 percent more likely to die from it. And the cancer is seemingly more aggressive if you’re Black, according to Dr. Carl Crawford, a gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
“There are a number of factors that may go into why African Americans, in particular, have higher rates of [colorectal] cancer,” said Dr. Crawford, who is also an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Weill Cornell Medicine. “We don’t understand all of the genetics, but we do know that there are socioeconomic factors involved, such as the kinds of diet that are present in disadvantaged communities and not enough access to health care for certain kinds of symptoms and triggers that would lead you to see a doctor.”
According to the Colon Cancer Coalition, people who smoke, drink alcohol or are obese are more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Adopting healthy behaviors — including quitting the use of tobacco products, reducing alcohol consumption and eating meals that include fruits, vegetables and whole grains — can also reduce your risk.
The five-year relative survival rate for stage I and stage II colon cancer is 90 percent; the 5-year survival rate for patients diagnosed at stage III is 71 percent and stage IV is 14 percent. Often, those who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer have experienced no signs or symptoms associated with the disease, according to the Coalition.
People with a parent, sibling or offspring with colorectal cancer have two or three times the risk of developing colon cancer compared to those with no family history of the disease.
Getting regular screenings and identifying symptoms and risk factors are vital to saving lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms such as blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, stomach pain, bloating, cramps that do not go away or weight loss without a known cause should be discussed with a health care provider. However, early stages of colorectal cancer often emerge without symptoms, and it is important to begin regular screenings starting at the age of 45.
While most people diagnosed with colon cancer have no family history of the disease, those with a family history should begin screening at an earlier age. When a relative is diagnosed at a young age or if there is more than one affected relative, the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases to three to six times that of the general population.
Colorectal Cancer in young people:
- In 2020, there were about 18,000 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed in people under 50, the equivalent of 49 new cases per day.
- One in five colorectal cancer patients are between 20 and 54 years old.
- The risk of colorectal cancer increases with age; 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in individuals 50 years of age and older.
- People born after 1990 have 2 times the risk of developing colon cancer and 4 times the risk of developing rectal cancer than those born in 1950.
What about screening?
- According to the American Cancer Society, men and women should begin screening for colorectal cancer at age 45.
- There are many screening tests available, including some non-invasive, inexpensive tests that can be done in the privacy of your own home.
- The National Colorectal Round Table estimates that if 80 percent of the eligible population was screened at the age of 50, the number of colorectal cancer-related deaths could be cut by 230,000.
To speak with a colon health expert or book an appointment for a colonoscopy, call the Detroit Medical Center at 313-578-0914.
For more information go to https://www.cancer.gov.