National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. This means it is time for you take a few minutes to think about your risks and learn more about colorectal cancer. According to the Ohio Department of Health there were over 6,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in Ohio in 2003. Of these, 425 cases were in Franklin County.

Are you at risk? Read on to learn more about what is colorectal cancer and ways to screen for this disease.

What is colorectal cancer?
Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last 6 inches of the colon. Together, they're often referred to as colorectal cancers. About 112,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer annually, and about 41,000 new cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Most cases of colon cancer begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called polyps. Over time some of these polyps become colon cancers.
Polyps may be small and produce few, if any, symptoms. Regular screening tests can help prevent colon cancer by identifying polyps before they become cancerous. If signs and symptoms of colon cancer do appear, they may include changes in bowel habits, blood in your stool, persistent cramping, gas or abdominal pain.

Screening
The American Cancer Society recommends that beginning at age 50, both men and women at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should use one of the screening tests below. The tests that are designed to find both early cancer and polyps are preferred if these tests are available to you and you are willing to have one of these more invasive tests. Talk to your doctor about which test is best for you.
Tests that find polyps and cancer

• flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years* 
• colonoscopy every 10 years 
• double contrast barium enema every 5 years* 
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*

Tests that mainly find cancer

• fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year*,**
• fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year*,**
• stool DNA test (sDNA), interval uncertain*

*Colonoscopy should be done if test results are positive.
**For FOBT or FIT used as a screening test, the take-home multiple sample method should be used. A FOBT or FIT done during a digital rectal exam in the doctor's office is not adequate for screening.
People should talk to their doctor about starting colorectal cancer screening earlier and/or being screened more often if they have any of the following colorectal cancer risk factors:

• a personal history of colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps
• a personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis)
• a strong family history of colorectal cancer or polyps (cancer or polyps in a first-degree relative [parent, sibling, or child] younger than 60 or in 2 or more first-degree relatives of any age)
• a known family history of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC)

To learn more about these tests and to hear from real people that have used them, visit the American Cancer Society webpage. There are also screening reminders that you can send yourself or loved ones.

Sources:
Mayo Clinic
American Cancer Society
Ohio Department of Health

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