Shhh! I can't talk about this!

Welcome March! And welcome to National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month-the test most people don’t like to talk about and like the commercials say, find every excuse not to have.

The colon which is known as the large intestine or large bowel is the last part of the digestive tract. The colon receives undigested food from the small intestine and is a long and muscular tube.  The colon’s main function is to remove water from undigested food and after storing it, eliminate it from the body through bowel movements.  

Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor from the inner wall of the large intestine from the colon and rectum and can spread to other areas in the body.  Benign tumors also known as polyps do not spread to other areas and can easily be removed however if they are not removed, they can become malignant. The removal of polyps can be done during a routine colonoscopy- another reason to get this done!

I’d like to add that if you have been tested and know that you have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation, at one time there was an associated higher risk of developing colon cancer. Colon cancer is higher in BRCA1 along with pancreatic and prostate cancer. The latest studies for BRCA2 have not supported these findings however there are higher risk of other cancers such as pancreatic, stomach, gallbladder and bile duct cancer.  Either way, with the current mutations, and the higher risk factors, why take any chances? The best treatment is prevention and when found early, colorectal cancer is curable.

So how and when should testing begin? Fecal occult blood test  are performed on samples of stool which can detect if “occult” blood or amounts of blood so small they cannot be seen with the naked eye usually begin around 40 years of age. If the test results are positive for occult blood, then a colonoscopy will be performed.  The most “inconvenient” part of the colonoscopy is the prep which takes place the day prior to the test.  Really, it’s just a large cleansing of the colon, is not painful and just is limiting to your schedule. The colon scope has a small camera attached to a flexible tube and examines the entire length of the colon and is completed fairly quickly. It is recommended to receive your first colonoscopy at the age of 50 and every 7-10 years after that.

In addition to early screenings, other suggestions to aid in the prevention of colorectal cancer are;

·         Eat a balanced diet which is low in fats and cholesterol and high in fiber. Smoking and high alcohol intake increase risk.

·         Maintain a healthy weight as obese men are at a higher risk than women as well as those with an “apple shape” with increased fat around the waist.

·         An Active lifestyle-exercising can reduce colon cancer by as much as 40 percent.

·         Consider adding Genetic counseling if there is an increased risk of hereditary colon cancer, other family members have had polyps or colon cancer or you are of Ashkenazi Jewish decent. Discuss testing with your medical doctor.

·         Reduce risk of bad bacteria in the gut which are common in patients who developed polyps in the colon. Consider a gentle colon cleanse and or adding high potency probiotic Bifidobacteria for good bacteria in the large intestine.

Colorectal cancer is preventable with the removal of precancerous polyps and curable when found early and surgically removed before it spreads.  So don’t wait, don’t find an excuse, just get it done! It’s like filing your taxes, it takes up time, it’s annoying, but Uncle Sam says you have to so you do- so do this for yourself. You may not receive a return of money (for those that do), but you will hopefully receive a clean bill of health check! I know which I’d rather have…

Healthy 2011!

Editor; Vicki Wolf, Co-Founder