Most people think that colorectal cancer, like a lot of cancers, only affects older people. As a result, many adults don’t attend regular screening as they don’t think they are at risk of developing the disease.
While age is still a risk factor for colorectal cancer, new statistics show that in fact, more and more younger adults are being diagnosed with the disease. In fact, 41% of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the UAE are under 40.
The good news is that colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, with up to 90% of cases that are caught early being successfully treated. As many cases don’t show symptoms in the early stages, screening is vitally important for everyone over the age of 40.
Due to the increasing number of cases in younger adults, the DOH now advise anyone over the age of 40, or who has any of the other risk factors associated with colorectal cancer, should attend routine colonoscopy screening – it really can save lives.
Risk Factors
A risk factor is anything that might increase your chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors, such as diet and lifestyle, can be changed, whilst others, such as your age and family history, cannot.
Things that you can change, to decrease your risk of developing colorectal cancer, include losing weight, taking regular exercise, and quitting smoking. What you eat can also make a difference, with a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fiber, and low in red and processed meat, offering the best protection.
Other risk factors can’t be controlled. If you have had a history of polys in the colon, you suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or you have a close family member who has had colorectal cancer, then you are likely to be at an increased risk.
Age is also associated with colorectal cancer. Traditionally, your risk was thought to increase over the age of 50, but in recent years, many more cases are being seen in younger adults. The reason for this increase is not yet clearly understood, but the age at which the DOH recommends routine screening has now decreased to 40.
Colonoscopy
In nearly all cases, colorectal cancer starts as a precancerous growth in the colon called an adenomatous polyp. These usually don’t cause symptoms, which is why screening is so important. A colonoscopy can identify and remove polyps from the colon before they turn into cancer. In fact, it is believed that up to 90% of all colorectal cancers could be prevented or treated successfully if everyone over the age of 40 attended regular screening.
Colonoscopy is the gold standard of colorectal cancer screening methods. It is an outpatient procedure during which the inside of the large intestine (colon and rectum) is examined. A doctor uses a colonoscope (a long, flexible instrument) to view the lining of the colon. If necessary, small amounts of tissue can be removed for analysis (called a biopsy) and polyps can be identified and removed before they turn into cancer. It can also find colorectal cancer early when it is much easier to successfully treat.
Schedule a colonoscopy today – it could save your life!