Chadwick Boseman, movie superhero, died at age 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer. And his tragic death has brought a new awareness to the harmful, sometimes symptomless disease.
While the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is only about 4.5%, it remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States for both men and women. That’s why it’s so important to learn about colorectal cancer, understand your risk, and take the steps you can to prevent it.
Colon cancer risks, signs, and symptoms
Colorectal cancer is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract that affects the large intestine, which is responsible for forming solid waste.
While the exact cause of colorectal cancer is unknown, but there are a number of factors that put people at increased risk for the disease. Some of those risk factors include:
- Age
- A family or personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps
- Having inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
- Lack of regular physical activity
- Obesity
- Smoking
Over the past decade, the rate of new colorectal cancer cases has been rising, especially in younger individuals.
While colorectal cancer doesn’t always cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages, there are some signs that should trigger a conversation with your physician:
- Changes in your bowel habits (narrowing stools, less frequent stools or blood in the stool)
- Stomach pain, aches or cramps that don’t go away
- Unexplained weight loss
The good news is colorectal cancer is preventable. That’s because it’s preceded by a detectable polyp cancer sequence. It takes several years for these polyps (benign growths in the colonic lining) to turn into a cancer, so screenings can find it before it becomes dangerous.
Screening for colon cancer
Colonoscopy is considered the gold-standard screening and is the only test that’s both diagnostic and therapeutic, since it allows for both the detection of polyps and their removal at the same time.
Recently the American Cancer Society updated its guidelines for average-risk patients, suggesting they start receiving regular colonoscopies at age 45. Patients at higher risk may need to begin screening earlier than that. It’s best to discuss these screenings with your healthcare provider to see when and which screening option is best for you.
Reducing your risk for colon cancer
Getting regular screenings is essential in preventing colorectal cancer, but there are also a number of behavioral choices we can make to reduce our risk of getting the disease. They include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Staying physically active
- Eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Getting plenty of calcium, especially through foods
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Avoiding tobacco
Movie superhero or not, we all need to be aware, informed and vigilant about colon cancer. So be mindful of your health-related behavior. And talk to your healthcare provider about getting a colon cancer screening.
If you’d like to learn more, you can also watch this NBC4 Health Matters segment with Mount Carmel Colon & Rectal Surgeon Dr. Ellen Bailey.