MURCIA, 30 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
This Wednesday, March 31, is celebrated the World Day Against Colon Cancer. Colon cancer is the third most common malignant tumor, in both men and women, after lung and breast cancer. It is more common after the age of 50, but it can also be diagnosed in younger people.
According to Dr. Ángel Vargas, specialist in Digestive System Medicine at the Hospital Mesa del Castillo in Murcia, mortality has decreased in recent years thanks, among other things, to screening campaigns, which allow the “diagnosis and removal of pre-tumor lesions (polyps), the diagnosis in early stages of cancer and the improvement of the approach and treatment of the cancer once detected “.
Despite this, the American Cancer Association predicts some 53,000 deaths in the United States in 2021 from this cancer, according to sources from the Mesa del Castillo Hospital in a statement.
Risk factors include lifestyle factors and diseases that cause a predisposition to colon cancer. According to Dr. Vargas, diets high in fat and low in fruits, vegetables and fibers and the abuse of alcoholic beverages added to tobacco, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, can facilitate the appearance of polyps in the colon.
Among the predisposing diseases are intestinal polyposis syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), previous colorectal cancer or genetic factors, since 25% of patients have an affected family member and in 10% a hereditary factor is confirmed.
Although the ideal is the diagnosis of pretumoral lesions (polyps) or colon cancer in early stages within the screening campaigns, according to the Mesa del Castillo Hospital specialist it is important to consult a doctor in case of “changes in defecatory rhythm, expulsion of blood with stool or presence of abdominal pain “. The doctor, after taking a detailed medical history, will indicate if a colonoscopy is recommended.
EARLY DETECTION CAMPAIGNS
According to Dr. Vargas, “colon cancer early detection campaigns, also known as screening, have decreased mortality in both breast cancer and colon cancer.” In colon cancer, screening is recommended from the age of 50 and it is being evaluated to advance it to 45 years.
“For low-risk people, the annual performance of the fecal occult blood test is proposed and those who present a positive test will be proposed for colonoscopy. High-risk patients (patients with affected relatives or who present a predisposing disease) should directly undergo a colonoscopy, “says Vargas.
The objective of screening is to find polyps that are benign lesions that appear in the mucosa of the colon and that allow them to be removed by colonoscopy, thus preventing their growth and transformation into cancer.
COLONOSCOPY
Colonoscopy is an endoscopic technique that consists of the introduction of an endoscope through the anal route and that consists of a camera that allows to visualize the interior of the colon and a working channel through which material can be introduced that allows the taking of biopsies. and removal of lesions. Currently, this examination is performed under sedation, which allows the test to be painless.
–
–
