Colon cancer
Alternative Names
Colorectal cancer; Cancer - colonPrevention
The death rate for colon cancer has dropped in the last 15 years. This may be due to increased awareness and screening by colonoscopy.
Colon cancer can almost always be caught in its earliest and most curable stages by colonoscopy. Almost all men and women age 50 and older should have a colon cancer screening. Patients at risk may need screening earlier.
For information on this procedure, see:
Colon cancer screening can find pre-cancerous polyps. Removing these polyps may prevent colon cancer.
Dietary and lifestyle modifications are important. Some evidence suggests that low-fat and high-fiber diets may reduce your risk of colon cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against taking aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medicines to prevent colon cancer if you have an average risk of the disease -- even if someone in your family has had the condition. Taking more than 300 mg a day of aspirin and similar drugs may cause dangerous gastrointestinal bleeding and heart problems in some people.
Although low-dose aspirin may help reduce your risk of other conditions, such as heart disease, it does not lower the rate of colon cancer.
References
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Routine Aspirin or Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs for the Primary Prevention of Colorectal Cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Mar 6;146 (5): 361-364.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2006. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2006.
Weitz J, Koch M, Debus J, Höhler T, Galle PR, Büchler MW. Colorectal cancer. Lancet. 2005;365:153-165.
Cappell MS. Pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management of colon cancer. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2008;37:1-24.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by
URAC, also known as the American
Accreditation HealthCare Commission. URAC's accreditation program is
the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and
accountability, verified by independent audit.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2005 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.