For advanced forms of the disease, there are now many treatments available that can increase survival. And which increasingly make this cancer a chronic disease, with periods of therapeutic pause, followed by resumption of treatments. All of this, skilfully dosed.
In fact, like many other cancers, colon cancer is an insidious disease that progresses slowly. More common from the age of sixty, it only gives symptoms at an already advanced stage. It then manifests itself by transit disorders (constipation or unusual diarrhea, alternating constipation and diarrhea), abdominal colic, or bleeding. But these are not always visible in the stool. Hence the importance of screening.
Make the diagnosis before the symptoms
Finding a very small tumor will heal in almost 90% of cases. People at risk (family history of cancer, polyps) should be monitored regularly from the age of 40 and undergo a colonoscopy every 5 years. Others should have a stool test every 2 years after age 50.
Hemoccult, which is used for this type of screening, is spreading in France. All you have to do is take two stool samples using a spatula, place them in the box provided for this purpose and send them to the laboratory. If the test comes back positive, colonoscopy of the bowel is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. You should also know that any bleeding, even seemingly harmless, should be consulted.
In prevention, let’s eat fish!
Fish every two days! According to the results of the Epic study of 500,000 people in ten European countries, this would be the right way to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. And in a spectacular way! Those who consume 80 g per day see this risk reduced by 40%, compared to people who eat only 20 g per day. While large consumers of red meat, offal and cold meats (160 g per day) have a risk increased by a third compared to those who are satisfied with 80 g per week.
