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Colon Cancer: Symptoms and Prevention

by Tony Long on August 22, 2009

SPECIAL CBS NEWS REPORT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COLON HEALTH

ABOUT COLON CANCER
Colorectal cancer, or colon cancer, is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. According to United States Cancer Statistics and the National Cancer Institute, 141,405 people were diagosed with colon cancer in 2005 and 53,562 died from the disease, this up from 105,500 diagnosed cases in 2003. Colon cancer is rare in people under the age of 40 and usually occurs in people over age 60 but statistics are beginning to show more diagnosed cases between the ages of 45 to 60.

RISK FACTORS AND SYMPTOMS
Colon cancer is a common type of malignancy (cancer) in which colon-cancer there is uncontrolled growth of the cells that line the inside of the colon or rectum. There are several risk factors involved with colon cancer the highest being age or having a personal history of colorectal polyps or if you have a prior history of colon cancer. Another high risk factor is having a family member diagnosed with the disease. 25 percent of people with colon cancer have a family history of the disease and this risk factor can be 3 to 4 times higher if more than one family has developed colon cancer. Symptoms may include:

Diarrhea or constipation lasting more than 10 days

Blood in the stool

Anemia

Abdominal pain

Abdominal discomfort (frequent gas pains, bloating, and cramps)

Weight loss with no reason

PREVENTION THROUGH NUTRITION
Changes in diet and nutrition can be very effective in the prevention of development and recurrence of colon cancer and eating less red meat is the single, most important thing we can do to reduce the risk. According to Dr. David Friedman, author of America’s Unbalanced Diet, eating red meat “is the main contributing factor to developing colon cancer”. The American Cancer Society says that “those that eat the most red meat get colon cancer 30 to 40 percent more than those that eat red meat occasionally”. And those whose diets are high in red meat and low in fiber are at an even higher risk. If you do eat red meat, you should eat no more than 3 to 4 ounces of lean red meat per week.

No single food can protect you against developing colon cancer, but the right combination of foods can help boost your immune system in the fight against the disease. Choose foods that are high in fiber and antioxidants. Fiber acts like a broom and sweeps out food caught in the colon while antioxidants neutralize cancer causing free radicals and helps to repair the damage they cause to body cells. Whole grains, and the foods made from them, fruits and legumes are examples of high fiber foods. Fruits and cruciferous vegetables are high in both fiber and antioxidants. especially the exotic fruits such as goji, acia, and mangosteen. Flaxseed is another excellent choice as it contains phytochemicals called lignans and these are extremely high in fiber.

PREVENTION THROUGH CHANGES IN LIFESTYLE
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 90,000 people colon-cancer-surviver in the U.S. die each year from cancers influenced primarily by being overweight. It is therefore important to try and maintain a stable, normal weight during your adult life. Staying physically active plays an important role in weight control and also aids in regular bowel movements which decreases the time the colon is exposed to potential cancer causing carcinogens. Reducing alcohol intake to three alcoholic drinks a week for women and six to seven for men can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Smoking increases your risk for two reasons. First, tobacco smoke, once inhaled. transports carcinogens to the colon, and second, tobacco use increases polyp size.