{"id":11229,"date":"2020-10-16T19:49:38","date_gmt":"2020-10-17T00:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=11229"},"modified":"2022-08-30T14:54:34","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T19:54:34","slug":"colorectal-cancer-essential-screening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/colorectal-cancer-essential-screening\/","title":{"rendered":"Most common colon cancer symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Who is at risk for colon cancer?<\/h2>\n<p>Excluding skin cancers, <a href=\"https:\/\/profilers.evaliahealth.com\/v3\/d8a02645-bd5a-45db-aecf-c39ff89cb66b\/\">colorectal cancer<\/a> \u2013 a cancer type that includes the closely related colon and rectal cancers \u2013 is the third-most-common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the country. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 105,000 new colon cancer cases are diagnosed annually. That means that everyone needs to know the colon cancer symptoms for their own safety.<\/p>\n<p>Watching out for colon and rectum cancers used to be an issue for older people. But with increased cancer instances in younger people, the ACS has lowered the recommended age to start getting annual screenings from age 50 to 45. Some people need to start receiving screenings even earlier, too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEspecially if your immediate family has a history of colorectal cancer or you have polyps in your colon, you should begin screening at least 10 years earlier than normal,\u201d said<a href=\"https:\/\/providers.osfhealthcare.org\/provider\/Omar+S.+Khokhar\/1462830?name=Omar%20S.%20Khokhar&amp;sort=networks%2C%20relevance&amp;from=search-list\"> Dr. Omar Khokhar<\/a>, a gastroenterologist at OSF HealthCare.<\/p>\n<h2>Why do I need to get tested for colon and rectal cancer?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cColon and rectal cancers are especially dangerous because they can slowly develop over several years with subtle symptoms,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cMost begin as a polyp. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to get tested.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"alignright cta\">\n<p>Know your risk for colon cancer<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/assessments\/\">Take the assessment<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Catching colon cancer early is important. When colon cancer is caught before it spreads to any other tissue, the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/colon-rectal-cancer\/detection-diagnosis-staging\/survival-rates.html\"> survival rate is 91%<\/a> for patients, according to the ACS. When the cancerous cells have spread to distant tissue, the survival rate drops to 14%.<\/p>\n<h2>Most common symptom of colon cancer<\/h2>\n<p>Medical conditions can impact people in different ways, so there is no single most common sign of colorectal cancer. Can blood in your stool be related to cancer? Yes, it can. Other colon cancer early warning signs include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anemia<\/li>\n<li>Constipation<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n<li>Left side abdominal pain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you experience these symptoms, please contact your health care provider right away.<\/p>\n<h2>What causes colon cancer?<\/h2>\n<p>Opinions vary on the reasons why people are being diagnosed at a younger age. Some epidemiologists believe that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/reduce-your-cancer-risk-with-good-nutrition\/\">diet<\/a>, too much red meat and obesity are to blame.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile our digestive systems play a large part in our overall health, the phrase \u2018you are what you eat\u2019 was coined for a reason. Genetics seems to be the biggest indicator,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cThere are many gene abnormalities that get passed along from generation to generation that can trigger colon cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To be an active participant in your health, pay attention to the colorectal cancer risk factors you can control: Limit red meat, increase your daily servings of fruits and veggies and stay at a healthy weight. Keep an eye out for any changes in your bowel movements, too.<\/p>\n<p>However, while managing your digestive health can profoundly affect your overall health, it\u2019s still essential to be screened for colorectal cancer.<\/p>\n<h2>Other colon cancer risk factors<\/h2>\n<p>Several other factors have been associated with increased risk, too, including excessive alcohol use, physical inactivity and cigarette smoking.<\/p>\n<p>People with a history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn&#8217;s disease, also have a higher risk.<\/p>\n<h2>Screening tests for colorectal cancer<\/h2>\n<p>The gold standard in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/colonoscopies-is-there-an-easier-option\/\">colorectal cancer screening tests<\/a> is a colonoscopy. Colonoscopies allow physicians to view the entire colon and both detect and remove polyps \u2013 small clumps of cells that can develop into cancer \u2013 during the same procedure.<\/p>\n<p>There are several other non-invasive tests and stool tests available by prescription for lower-risk patients. These tests can be done at home to detect issues like blood in the stool. Or genetic testing can identify DNA that may indicate cancer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you see a change in bowel movements or experience any other colorectal cancer symptoms, talk to your doctor. I can\u2019t stress this enough. Talk to your doctor and get tested,\u201d Dr. Khokhar said. \u201cNo matter what the recommended method is for you, getting screened could be the difference between catching a colorectal issue early or waiting until it\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who is at risk for colon cancer? Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer \u2013 a cancer type that includes the closely related colon and rectal cancers \u2013 is the third-most-common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the country. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 105,000 new colon cancer cases are diagnosed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":11236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[101,735],"tags":[805,797,415,342],"coauthors":[687],"class_list":["post-11229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer","category-preventive-health","tag-cancer-screening","tag-colon-cancer","tag-colorectal-cancer","tag-osf-saint-anthony"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Most common colon cancer symptoms<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While managing digestive health can profoundly affect overall health, it is still essential to be screened for colorectal 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