By Becky Powell MS, RN, AOCN, and Mary Kay Holloway, RDN, CSO, LDN, Community Cancer Center
Colon cancer is on the rise: A true statement, but not necessarily a comment that grabs your attention. What if the headline read, “Colon cancer is on the rise in young patients 20-34 years of age?” Do we have your undivided attention now? The facts are, in a recent study conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, researchers estimate the number of young patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer is expected to nearly double by 2030. Broken down, the number of newly diagnosed colon cancer cases in patients 20-34 years of age will increase by 37.8 percent by 2020 and by 90 percent by 2030. The number of rectal cancers in this same age group is expected to increase by 49.7 by 2020 and 124.2 percent by 2030. Conversely, by 2030 the number of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer over the age of 50 is expected to drop by 41 percent.
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women. Symptoms of possible colorectal cancer can include:
- Blood in your stool
- Change in bowel habits
- Stomach pain, aches, or cramps that don’t go away
- Unexplained weight loss
However, many patients have no symptoms at all. Screening tests, to find a colorectal cancer early in a patient with no symptoms, are recommended but, for most people, not until the age of 50. These tests include a colonoscopy, which utilizes a thin flexible scope to visualize the inside of your colon looking for pre-cancerous polyps that can be removed before cancer has the opportunity to develop.
So what needs to be done knowing colorectal cancer rates are expected to increase in young people not old enough to have the standard screening recommendations? This is what the researchers of this study are looking at. They are quoted as stating, “We’re observing the potential real impact of colorectal cancer among young people if no changes are made in public education and prevention efforts. This is the moment to reverse this alarming trend.” Do we need to start screening for colorectal cancer at an earlier age? Possibly. Are there things people can implement immediately to help lower their overall risk for this disease? Absolutely!
According to the American Institute of Cancer Research there is convincing evidence of two things you can do to decrease your risk of colon cancer right away. First is increasing your physical activity. It can be exercise, dancing, walking, gardening, or just going outside to play. Make goals to get to 150 minutes or more per week. As you are adding exercise to your day, begin to add dietary fiber from plant foods or foods that have fiber added. It is recommended to get 20-30 grams of fiber each day. One-half cup of baked beans can add 8 grams; a pear can add 5 grams and one-half cup of frozen mixed vegetables can add 4 grams of fiber to help you reach the daily fiber goals. As you increase the plant foods for fiber think about decreasing your red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and processed meat servings to under 18 ounces each week. Making these changes could help you to lose weight and build lean muscle that also helps to lower your colon cancer risk and keep you out of those statistics above.
For information on current screening guidelines, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.
The Community Cancer Center offers a variety of supportive and educational groups and programs, free of charge, to help patients and families cope with cancer and its effects. For more information, go to their website at www.cancercenter.org.