Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer

By: Michael Del Rosario, M.D., Director, Division of Colorectal Surgery, AtlantiCare

March is National Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month — an important observance that helps motivate more people to take steps that can reduce their risk of cancer. It’s also a time to celebrate the impact that CRC awareness and education are helping to make. According to the American Cancer Society, CRC rates in the U.S. declined by about 1% (mostly among older adults) each year between 2013-2017, “mainly because people are getting screened and changing their lifestyle-related risk factors.”

Colon cancer is preventable. These are four powerful, and hopeful, words. So is this word: colonoscopy. Today, more people are aware of the importance of having the procedure. Considered the gold standard in screening, colonoscopy offers an important way to reduce CRC risk among people aged 45 and older, or who have a family history of CRC. In addition to treating patients in our Cape May Court House and Egg Harbor Township CCI locations, the teams at the AtlantiCare Cancer Care Institute (CCI) and Surgical Services are dedicated to making sure people in our community understand their CRC risk, get screened accordingly, and stay abreast of important changes.

What’s New

There have been some recent changes in screening options and recommendations that everyone needs to be aware of — regardless of their age or risk factors.

The American Cancer Society now recommends that those at average risk start screenings at age 45, and continue to have screenings through age 75, or longer if their healthcare provider recommends it. According to Yale Medicine, the incidence rate of CRC among people younger than 45 is also rising — making it important that all adults be aware of their risk and take steps accordingly to start screening earlier and/or be screened more frequently if risk factors exist. CRC risk factors include:

• A personal history of CRC or colorectal polyps
• A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease
• A family history of CRC or polyps
• Having an inherited gene mutation that causes family cancer syndromes
• Having type 2 diabetes
• Being older — CRC is much more common in people over 50

What You Can Control

In addition to being aware of risk factors you cannot change, there are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of CRC. These include maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, staying physically active, following a diet low in red meats and processed meats and high in fiber, and limiting your alcohol intake. Always contact a healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the telltale symptoms that may indicate CRC, such as rectal bleeding, unusual stool color, changes in your bowel movements, and being tired or experiencing lower levels of energy.

Finally, while at-home testing kits are available, home tests should never replace a colonoscopy. These tests are typically used in special individualized circumstances when colonoscopy cannot be performed, and even then, only after discussion with a healthcare provider. At-home test kits have a higher colon polyp/cancer miss rate, and when positive, a colonoscopy is still needed. Colonoscopies, on the other hand, can both detect cancer and prevent it by locating and removing polyps before they become cancerous.

What’s Working

It bears repeating — getting regular colonoscopies and making lifestyle choices that can reduce risk can prevent a person from getting CRC. Our teams at AtlantiCare have plenty of patient stories that attest to these steps “working” for them. To learn more, find a provider, and schedule a screening, click here or call 1-888-569-1000.