According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), colorectal cancer is the
second leading cancer killer of men and women in the United States, following
lung cancer. It is most often found in people aged 50 and older and affects
people in all racial and ethnic groups. 2010 CDC incidence rates reveal that black people had the highest rate of colorectal cancer and were also more likely to die of colorectal cancer than any other group. Ashkenazi Jews have one of the highest
colorectal cancer risks of any ethnic group in the world, due to several gene
mutations that lead to increased risk, the most common of which is found in 6%
of American Jews.
Holy
Name Colon and Rectal Surgeon, Ronald White, MD, points out that, although
deadly, colorectal cancer is, almost uniquely, one of the truly preventable
cancers. Regular screening can prevent many colorectal cancers, because benign
polyps that are found during the screening can be removed before they have the
chance to turn into cancer. And, if cancer is
found during a regular screening, it is more likely to be at an early stage
when most curable.
According
to Dr. White, if most adults at average risk of (with no personal or family
history of colon cancer) had initial screenings at the age of 50, 75% of
colorectal cancers could be eliminated. Unfortunately, fewer than 60% of
Americans over the age of 50 have had a screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy
in the past ten years, despite the recommendations of the American Cancer
Society, the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer and the
American College of Radiology that initial screenings take place at the age of
50.
If
there is a family history in a first degree relative, Dr. White recommends that
the initial screening take place 10 years earlier than the index case or by age
40. Follow-up surveillance screenings
for individuals with no history should be scheduled every ten years, but for
people with a history or polyps, every three to five years.
Eating
a healthy, high fiber diet – low in animal fat and high in fruits, vegetables,
salads - can accrue benefits over decades and help reduce
the risk of colorectal cancer, so it’s important to start a healthy diet in
childhood.
A
colonoscopy is a relatively pain-free, low-risk procedure, so eat a healthy
diet, live a healthy lifestyle, reduce your alcohol intake, stop smoking and
schedule a colonoscopy during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. It can save
your life.
For information about programs and
services or for a physician referral, please call
1-877-HOLY-NAME (1-877-465-9626) or visit
holyname.org.
