February 28, 2005
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Dana-Farber physicians encourage regular screening for the disease
Robert J. Mayer, MD
This year, more than an estimated 145,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and another 56,000 likely will die from the disease. Although it is highly treatable when caught early, only one out of three Americans at risk for developing colorectal cancer will be regularly screened for it.
In recognition of March being National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute physicians and nurses are encouraging people who are age 50 and older to be screened regularly for the disease.
"Much progress has occurred during the last 10 to 15 years in the treatment of colorectal cancer," stated Dr. Robert J. Mayer, director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "However, the best way to reduce the number of deaths is by finding the disease in its earliest and nearly always curable stages through regular screening."
Age is a major risk factor for colorectal cancer, with people who are age 50 and older accounting for more than 90 percent of new cases. Other risk factors include inflammatory bowel disease, a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps, a low-fiber and high-fat diet, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.
Colorectal cancer typically starts as small, non-cancerous growths or polyps on the internal lining of the colon or rectum. The use of regular screening tests increases the possibility of detecting – and removing – these polyps while they are still pre-cancerous or early stage cancer, and when they are most treatable, explains Mayer, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
In the early stages, colorectal cancer usually causes no symptoms. Common symptoms of advanced disease include: rectal bleeding, traces of blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, cramping pain in the lower abdomen, constipation or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely, and unexplained weight loss. People who experience any of these symptoms should notify their physician immediately.
In addition to undergoing regular screenings, people can reduce their risk of colorectal cancer by eating a balanced diet that places an emphasis on fruits and vegetables while reducing consumption of fat and red meat, having a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption and not smoking.
For more information about colorectal cancer:
www.dana-farber.org/colorectal
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), a designated comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
