LEXINGTON — As March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Matt Sexton gave a presentation about the disease before the meeting of the Lexington Regional Health Center Auxiliary on Wednesday, March 15.
Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control.
Sexton wanted the group to take away three main things from the talk, what colon cancer is, why it’s important and how to prevent it.
Colon cancer is a multi-factor disease, meaning it is caused by a number of factors, including genetics, environment, diet and other factors.
Early cases can begin as noncancerous polyps. These often have no symptoms but can be detected by screening.
Colorectal cancer symptoms depend on the size and location of the cancer. Some commonly experienced symptoms include changes in bowel habits, changes in stool consistency, blood in the stool, and abdominal discomfort.
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The staging of the cancer is complex, Sexton said, depending again on several factors.
The earliest stage colorectal cancers are called stage zero, a very early cancer, and then range from stages one through four. As a rule, the lower the number, the less the cancer has spread.
“A higher number, such as stage four, means cancer has spread more. And within a stage, an earlier letter means a lower stage. Although each person’s cancer experience is unique, cancers with similar stages tend to have a similar outlook and are often treated in much the same way,” according to the American Cancer Society.
Sexton said the diagnosis of colorectal cancer will start with blood work and if warranted, a colonoscopy. He said the only treatment is surgery, during the earliest stages the polyps will be removed, while stages two and three will see sections of the bowel removed, followed by chemotherapy.
In the case of state four, there is no cure and chemotherapy will be used to slow the spread of the cancer, but it will more than likely be the cause of death of the patient.
Colorectal cancer is a common disease, with two million cases worldwide, making it the second most common cancer in the world, with one million dying due to the disease each year.
March was named Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in February due to the prevalence of the condition.
In the United States, screenings are more prevalent and the disease is caught more often, but it is still the third most common cancer in the country. Sexton said the Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010 helped to ensure people had access to more screenings that were covered through insurance.
While screenings were recommended for people over 50, this has now been lowered to people 45 due to a worrying trend of younger people being diagnosed with the cancer.
“From 1995 to 2019, new cases of colorectal cancer nearly doubled from 11 percent to 20 percent for Americans younger than 55. The disease has become the leading cause of cancer deaths for Americans 20 to 49 years old,” according to the National Cancer Institute.
Sexton said this increase in young people likely has to do with the main risk factors for colorectal cancer, including obesity and diabetes. Other risk factors include smoking and alcohol, the more drinks per day, the higher the increase.
There are things people can do to help reduce their risk of colorectal cancer. Those who exercise daily are at a 26 percent less risk of the disease, while a diet high in fruits and vegetables and fiber can help as well.
When it comes to detection, screening is the primary method, although only two thirds of Americans of age have been screened.
He said locally there are three different screenings that can be done, including a fecal blood test that samples for hidden, occult blood. Occult blood in the stool may indicate colon cancer or polyps in the colon or rectum, though not all cancers or polyps bleed.
Sexton said this test should be conducted every year for people above 45.
The other is a Fit DNA test, for this test, a person collects an entire bowel movement and sends it to a lab, where it is checked for altered DNA and for the presence of blood. It is done once every three years.
The last and the “gold standard,” for detection and prevention is the colonoscopy, Sexton said.
Colonoscopy is a procedure a doctor uses to look at the inside of the colon and rectum with a colonoscope, which is a long, flexible tube about the width of a finger with a light and small video camera on the end.
Sexton said the benefit to the colonoscopy is that it can detect polyps and biopsy them on the spot, screening and prevention in one procedure.
The preparation for the procedure is the part everyone dislikes, Sexton said, medications have to be taken to help completely clear the bowls before the procedure.
Screening is the number one way to prevent or detect this disease early, when it’s most treatable. With early detection, colorectal cancer has a 90 percent survival rate.
When it comes to colorectal cancer, the most common symptom is no symptom. That’s why colorectal cancer is called the silent killer, if you’re 45 and at average risk, get screened.
