{"id":145,"date":"2018-04-09T07:54:54","date_gmt":"2018-04-09T07:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.4ahealthygut.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2018-04-09T10:50:52","modified_gmt":"2018-04-09T10:50:52","slug":"colon-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.4ahealthygut.com\/colon-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Colon Cancer: A Cancer on the Rise in Younger and Younger People"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>In the past, doctors didn\u2019t start cautioning their patients to get their yearly colonoscopy until age 50 or up. But today, that kind of thinking is being drastically reconsidered.<\/p>\n

This is because colon cancer is very much on the rise<\/a> <\/strong>in much younger populations and is being seen more and more in the 20-35-year age group and 35-45-year age groups.<\/p>\n

The death rate from colon cancer is sharply increasing in the 20- 54-year age group as well, according to an August 2017 study. As the\u00a0researcher on this study, Rebecca Siegel explains,<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t think about colorectal cancer in young people. So, patients may delay seeing their doctors for symptoms, like rectal bleeding or persistent abdominal cramping.<\/p>\n

And primary care doctors often attribute persistent symptoms to more common problems like hemorrhoids or constipation.\u201d<\/p>\n

That delay can allow cancers to grow, so they\u2019re not found until the cancer is larger or has spread, at a later stage when the survival rate is not as high.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of these rising trends in colon cancer across younger populations, it is wise to see a doctor about any troubling symptoms such as persistent stomach pain, changes in bowel movements, diarrhea alternating with constipation, narrowing stools, and blood in the stool.<\/p>\n

Younger persons should also consider getting screened for colon cancer, especially if they have risk factors at work, especially a family history of colon cancer.<\/p>\n

Today, there are three tests available, two of which are non-invasive, to make testing for colon and rectal cancers less intimidating but still effective.<\/p>\n

Besides colonoscopies, two new tests are now available, free for most persons covered by insurance: virtual colonoscopies<\/strong><\/a>, which uses computed tomography (CT) colonography, a special X-ray machine to examine the colon.<\/p>\n

There is also a $650 home test called Cologuard, which checks stool for elevated levels of altered DNA that could indicate cancer.<\/p>\n

Many insurance companies offer this test without a co-pay, and all offer some type of colon cancer screening.<\/p>\n

With these new, less invasive methods of screening for colon cancer, doctors are hoping their patients will feel more encouraged to get tested\u2014get tested young and often throughout life, and hopefully catch colon cancer at the 0 stage where it can be eradicated and cured completely.<\/p>\n

What is colon cancer?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Colorectal cancer, or colon cancer, is cancer that occurs in the tissues of the rectum or colon. Colon cancer typically starts in the intramucosal lining of the colon or rectum.<\/p>\n

This is when colon cancer is still at stage 0\u2014before it has even spread to the outer lining of the colon.<\/p>\n

Although catching colon cancer at this early stage is ideal, many people don\u2019t catch colon cancer until it has progressed to further stages, because doctors don\u2019t frequently insist upon testing for colon cancer until a person is well into their late 40s or early 50s.<\/p>\n

When discovered early, colon cancer is very curable and, at the least, very treatable.<\/p>\n

Even at the latter stages, combination therapies such as surgery followed by chemotherapy can prove highly effective at eradicating cancer.<\/p>\n

Today, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths\u2014approximately 500,000 a year.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Colon cancer symptoms and early signs of colon cancer<\/span><\/h2>\n

Symptoms of colon cancer can be mild in the early stages. However, changes in one\u2019s bowel movements, keeping an eye out for changes in bowel movements, and monitoring stool for any signs of blood can help people identify colon cancer signs early and get tested.<\/p>\n

Early colon cancer symptoms include all of the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Changes in bowel movements<\/h3>\n

The patient may notice diarrhea alternating with constipation, and a narrowing of stools.<\/p>\n

Stomach pain\/discomfort<\/h3>\n

This might include cramping, bloating, and feeling gassy.<\/p>\n

Blood in the stool\/rectal bleeding<\/h3>\n

Typically, patients will notice blood in the stool or on the toilet paper when they wipe.<\/p>\n

This is not a symptom to be dismissed but is a common one blamed on hemorrhoids and not colon cancer, meaning the cancer is not caught early on and progresses.<\/p>\n

Finding blood (either bright red or very dark) in your stool<\/p>\n

Other signs of colon cancer <\/strong><\/p>\n