Colorectal cancer is the most common digestive cancer. Each year, about 130,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States. Unlike most digestive cancers, the patient’s longevity is good, provided the disease is detected early. The survival rate of those infected in the early stages for a period of five years is more than 90 percent, God willing.

Screening tests would allow colorectal cancer to be diagnosed in its early stages, but the problem is that many people do not benefit from the available tests, and they are considered partly responsible for the deaths of more than 50,000 Americans annually from colorectal cancer, which is second only to Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States, and once this cancer spreads to adjacent organs or lymph nodes, the patient’s life expectancy is reduced by five years.

As with many digestive cancers, genetics and lifestyle seem to play an important role in the development of colorectal cancer. Known risk factors include:

family history The risk of colorectal cancer increases if other family members are affected. All forms of this cancer have a genetic basis, but in some types, which constitute 5 to 10 percent of cases, the risk of inheriting the disease is very high.

One of the inherited types of colorectal cancer is hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC). In the event of this defect, the probability of transmitting the gene to all children increases to 50 percent, and the risk of colorectal cancer at a younger age reaches 80 percent, as the average age of diagnosis of the disease among those who carry this defect is 45 years, compared to 65 years. One year for those who develop non-hereditary colorectal cancer.

Another genetic condition is familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which causes hundreds or even thousands of small, noncancerous polyps (polyps) in the colon and rectum, and the polyps first appear in adolescence. In almost all cases, cancer forms in one or more of these polyps, generally between the ages of thirty and fifty.

Colon and rectal polyps. More than 95 percent of colorectal cancers start as changes in the intestinal lining, called adenomas. Not all polyps become cancerous, but most colon cancers start as polyps.

Previous cancer of the colon and rectum. New cancers or polyps may form elsewhere in the colon or rectum.

Sweat. Black men and women are more likely to develop colorectal cancer. Between 1973 and 1992, the incidence of colorectal cancer increased by 40 percent in black men and 16 percent in black women.

getting older Nine out of 10 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer are over the age of 50.

A history of inflammatory bowel disease. If a patient has a long history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases.

smoking. Studies show a higher rate of cancer among tobacco smokers. The longer the smoking period and the greater the amount of tobacco used, the higher the risk of infection.

food. People who eat a high-fat diet, especially one that contains a lot of red meat, are more likely to get sick. A diet rich in fiber has long been considered to reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer. However, the role of the fibers remains a matter of dispute. According to recent studies, this nutrient is not able to protect the body from the risk of colorectal cancer.

Sports. It appears that inactive people are more likely to develop colorectal cancer.

Symptoms of the disease:

Symptoms vary depending on the location and extent of the cancer. If the disease is in the lower colon or rectum, it would block the stool passage, leading to contractions and making defecation more difficult. The patient feels the need to defecate frequently, even after stool is out. The appearance of blood in the stool or on the toilet paper is an additional alarm.

As for the cancer being in a higher area of ​​the colon, it causes anemia and fatigue as a result of the blood lost, which the patient may be unable to see, as it is usually mixed with stool and is dark in color. Other symptoms include persistent diarrhea or constipation, decreased appetite, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal pain.