Is colon cancer really preventable?
I’m looking for more information as to the best ways to prevent colon cancer. Unfortunately, colon cancer runs in my family and my grandfather nearly died of colon cancer in his 60s. Will getting a colonoscopy help prevent colon cancer? I haven’t been screened yet and am in my mid 30s. Any information you can provide would be very helpful.
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You understand and agree that use of the Website does not in any way create or establish a physician-patient privilege or physician-patient relationship between you and any Medical Professional Member. You should recognize that the information provided on the Website (including past questions and answers and articles posted on the site) is provided for your general information. These materials should not be relied on as medical advice and reading and reviewing them is not a substitute for direct consultation with a medical professional about a specific medical problem.
Without limiting the foregoing, you understand and agree that submitting a Free Question or receiving an answer to a Free Question does not in any way create or establish an physician-patient relationship between you and any Medical Professional Member, or between you and us. The information and answers provided in response to Free Questions is intended to be generic medical information, not medical advice, and is based upon the very limited information provided by you in a Free Question. Specific medical advice can only be given with full knowledge of all of the facts and circumstances of your situation. If you are currently being treated by a doctor, that doctor is the best person to give you advice about a medical case or medical matter. Under no circumstances should the information obtained on this site be used to make decisions about the quality of service provided by a doctor or about the proper course of a medical matter.
Colon cancer can be prevented by getting routine colonoscopies. Polyps must be removed during colonoscopy in order to be identified as cancerous or not. Secondly, dietary recommendations must be taken into account. Vegetables, brans, fruits, cereal and a high-fiber diet have been shown to reduce colon cancer risk in studies. Other studies suggest that baby aspirin, Folate, and calcium can also reduce the risks associated with colon cancer.
Great question – the short answer is yes, if you get screened appropriately for colon cancer, even with a strong family history it is preventable.? The reason is that colon cancer starts as small polyps, which if caught early can be removed before they have a chance to become full blown cancer.? When to start screening is the main question – the general concensus is to start 10 years before the age of the youngest relative with the disease or the age of 50, whichever is sooner.
Thank you for this excellent question. Colon cancer is definitively preventable! With your family history you should have a colonoscopy at age 50 or 10 years before your family member was diagnosed with colon cancer. In the skillful hands of an experienced colonoscopist, your risk of getting colon cancer should approach zero. The way colonoscopy prevents cancer is that most cancers begin as precancerous polyps which can be seen and removed during a colonoscopy thereby prevention colon cancer! Good luck.
Yes, for the most part, colon cancer is preventable. 90% of colon cancers arise from polyps, growths of tissue in the colon. Performing a screening colonoscopy can detect and remove these polyps at an early stage, thus preventing the progression to colon cancer. A single colonoscopy can decresae the risk of getting colon cancer by ~70%. Also, this is a hereditary condition, so given your family history, you may want to speak to a physician regarding colon cancer screening. Thanks for the question.