SCREENING FOR COLORECTAL CANCER
More than 153,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are expected to occur this year, and more than 52,000 people will lose their lives to the disease. However, screening for the disease can help can detect polyps before they turn into cancer. For both men and women at average risk for colorectal cancer, screening should begin at age 50 with one of five options:
- Yearly stool blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years
- Yearly stool blood test plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years
- Double contrast barium enema every five years
- Colonoscopy every 10 years
For people with certain risk factors, screening should begin earlier or be done more often. While the exact cause of colorectal cancer is unknown, risk factors for the disease include:
- Age – chances of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer increase as a person gets older
- Family history – having close relatives with colorectal cancer increases a person's risk of developing the disease
- Diet – diets high in fat and low in calcium, folate and fiber may increase the risk
- Ethnicity – Jews of Eastern European descent have a higher rate of colon cancer
- Genetic alterations – certain family syndromes that involve family members having hundreds of polyps in their colon or rectum make someone more likely to get colorectal cancer
- History of colorectal polyps – common in people over the age of 50, some growths on inner wall of colon or rectum can become cancerous
- Smoking – may increase risk of developing polyps and colorectal cancer
- Alcohol – heavy use of alcohol has been linked to the disease
- History of bowel disease – a disease called ulcerative colitis (Crohn's colitis) increases the risk of colon cancer
- Lack of exercise – people who are not active have a higher risk of colorectal cancer
- Overweight – being very overweight increases a person's risk
