History of Colon Cancer
Colon cancer actually ranks second in the leading causes of deaths which are cancer-related in the US. Being one of the cancers that are most commonly diagnosed in the US and in many other regions in the world, it has also been noted as the third most common cancer that men and women have alike.
Colon cancer has become a major health concern as well as a public health problem in a majority of the Western countries although there is already a widespread use of the screening methods and techniques for the detection of this cancer’s early stages. As a matter of fact, over 148,000 people in the US alone are diagnosed to have colon cancer annually.
Based on the history of cases of colon cancer, majority of them, around 72% begin in the colon and around 28% begin in the rectal area. The lifetime risk of getting a diagnosis of colon cancer in the US is around 5.5% for women and 5.9% for men.
Ever since colon cancer and colorectal cancer was discovered, there have been several risk factors that were established. Males were recorded to have a higher risk for getting the disease compared to females. Older people also tended to be prone to getting the cancer as well. The incidence of colon cancer was also noted to be significantly higher in African Americans if you would be comparing the number of cases of colon cancer in Caucasians. And lastly, the rick of developing colon cancer was higher in people who lived in more industrialized nations compared to those who lived in les industrialized ones.
Aside from demographics, the lifestyle of individuals have also been studied by experts to have a great influence on the development of the disease. For instance, there have been a lot of studies conducted that having a diet that was rich in cholesterol and fat was linked to having a greater risk in getting the disease. Not being able to exercise regularly, an existing case of inflammatory bowel disease, a number of types of polyps along with a family history of colon cancer were also associated with a higher risk for getting colon cancer.
Over the years, there have been numerous tests that were developed to be able to detect colon cancer in its early stages, making it easier to cure. Some of the more common screening tests performed would include stool examination for blood and rectal examination. Colonoscopy and sigmoidocopy are more invasive procedures but they can detect as well as remove polyps which could serve as precursors of the cancer. There have also been some less invasive procedures like virtual colonoscopy, barium enema which were developed to diagnose and screen for colon and colorectal cancer.
