In 2010 there will be approximately 148,000 new cases of colon cancer diagnosed in the United States; in Connecticut alone it is estimated that there will be 2,000 new cases. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second most common cause of cancer death. It has become a significant public health problem. Over ten years ago, March was designated National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in an effort to make the public more aware of the risks for the disease and how important screening is.
Screening is an important tool when diagnosing colon cancer early. One of the biggest risk factors for colon cancer is age, and the general recommendation is that anyone over the age of 50 should be screened. However, individuals with a family history of colon cancer, especially those whose family members have developed the disease before the age of 50, should start getting screened much earlier.
Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for screening for colon cancer. Colonoscopies are vital because they can visualize polyps. After 20 to 25 years worth of research it is known that colon cancer arises from polyps, so if having a colonoscopy can initiate removal of the polyps, in essence it is removing one of the main causes for developing colon cancer. If a colonoscopy is negative, another one may not be needed for 10 years.
Virtual colonoscopy is another method of screening that is being explored. It is basically a sophisticated CAT scan of the bowel that provides a 3-D image. It is quick, and patients don’t have to undergo an invasive procedure. However, despite these advantages, it is still not approved as a screening guideline. The same preparation is required and if a lesion is identified the patent still has to undergo the invasive procedure to obtain a biopsy, and the virtual colonoscopy is not as sensitive as a regular colonoscopy and can miss small lesions.
There are many symptoms to be aware of when dealing with colon cancer. Symptoms can include a change in bowel habits, abdominal cramps, bloating, reduced appetite with weight loss, and generalized fatigue. Men and women are both at equal risk for developing the disease. With respect to race, there is also some new data suggesting that African-Americans seem to develop colon cancer at an earlier age than their Caucasian counterparts, and they also tend to present with more aggressive disease.
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is to remind people of how important screening is for this disease and also to educate people on the advances being made. Targeted therapies have been developed, such as Avastin which targets the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) signaling pathway, and there is a better understanding of the disease itself, leading to more targeted therapies.
In an effort to support March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, free colorectal cancer screenings were held at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, and Yale Cancer Center’s radio show, Yale Cancer Center Answers, featured two segments discussing colorectal cancer. There is also a live Confronting Colorectal Cancer Town Hall Special being held on March 24th on CPTV sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Cancer Partnership, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Stay in the Game Connecticut.