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Deaths from colorectal cancer rank third after lung and
prostate cancer for men and third after lung and breast
cancer for women.
But mortality rates are decreasing. Increased awareness,
more screenings, and advances in treatment have helped
reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancers.
Age and history play a role in your risk of developing
colorectal cancer. Your risk increases if you:
- Are more than 50 years of age
- Have a family or personal history of cancer
- Have polyps in your colon
- Have ulceratiave or Crohn's colitis
Symptoms of colon cancer include:
- Change in bowel habits
- Blood in stools
- Stools narrower than usual
- General abdominal discomfort
- Unknown reason for weight loss
"Waiting for symptoms to develop is a recipe for
disaster," says Robert Summers, M.D., UI gastroenterologist.
"The greatest impact in reducing deaths from colon cancer
can be made by performing these tests before symptoms occur.
Several tests are available to detect colorectal cancer:
- Fecal occult blood test-test the stool for
microscopic evidence of blood (annually)
- Sigmoidoscopy-viewing the interior lining of the
lower one-third of the colon (every five years)
- Barium enema-special X-ray of the large intestine
(every five years)
- Colonoscopy-viewing the interior lining of the entire
large intestine (every 10 years)
For more information about colorectal cancer and
treatments available at UI Hospitals and Clinics, call
UI Health
Access, 319-384-8842, ext. 1004, or 800-777-8442, ext.
1004.
More information:
Listed above is a Web site that offers additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
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