What happens during colonoscopy?

Here is another video from youtube, wherein Bill Hayes from Q107 tells the importance of being screened early.







Reference = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvLuUQXo_gQ

KATIE COURIC ON COLONOSCOPY

WHO ARE AT RISK FOR COLON CANCER?

People who had relatives with colon cancer

According to research, people with relatives of the first degree who had colon cancer are in high risk of having the disease since it is hereditary.

People 40 years old and above

The age 40 – 70 years old is chosen to be the primary target, because they are the people who are more susceptible to illnesses because most people at this age have their immune systems weakened. The rate of colon cancer detection increases after age 40 and most people diagnosed with colon cancer are people 60 years old and above.



People with improper diet

People who eat too much fat and less fiber are prone to having colon cancer. Lack of fiber also increases risk of having colon cancer, since fiber is known to help with the bowel system, therefore lack of fiber means not taking care of the colon. Lack of exercise can also contribute since, without exercise excessive fat stays in your body longer.

People who drink alcohol

Another reason why colon cancer likes the Filipinos because Filipinos like to drink alcohol. May it be in celebrations, gatherings, or just because there is nothing else to do some people turn to alcohol. Distilled spirits like gin, vodka and bourbon increases risk of colon cancer. People who have two or more drinks are likely to have colon cancer. Nevertheless, a study showed that drinking wine has shown a protective effect against colon cancer.

People who are diabetic

A study has been reported during the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Honolulu that 40% of diabetics are more likely to have colon cancer because of insulin dependency.1

People who smoke

Smoking doesn’t just give you lung cancer; it can also give you colon cancer. Long term cigarette smoking can cause colon cancer, it happens when you inhale or swallowed tobacco smoke it transports carcinogens to the colon, which makes the cells mutate into cancer cells, and it also increases polyp size.

In connection to smoking, people who do not smoke can be also affected by means of 2nd hand smoking, wherein a person is exposed to smoking people and inhale the smoke emitted by the smokers.

People who are overweight

Being obese has a lot of negative impacts in life. People whose BMI (body mass index) are greater than 30 has high risk. People who are obese in the waist area are at high risk of colon cancer than people with extra fat in their thighs or hips.

People with rectal bleeding

In a research conducted by Tedesco and colleagues in the 70’s, out of 285 people with rectal bleeding, 29 of them are diagnosed with colon cancer thru colonoscopy2


References:

http://coloncancer.about.com/od/causesofcancer/a/Colon_Cancer.htm
1- http://www.doctorbob.com/2005k_11_07news21.html
2 - Tedesco FJ, Waye JD, Raskin JB, et al. Colonoscopic evaluation of rectal bleeding. Ann Internal Med 1978;89;907

WELCOME TO BETTER HEALTH

Have you ever heard of the term colonoscopy? Do you know what a colon and colon cancer is? If not, then you came to the right place

"Colonoscopy (koh-luh-NAH-skuh-pee) allows a doctor to look inside the entire large intestine. The procedure enables the physician to see things such as inflamed tissue, abnormal growths, and ulcers. It is most often used to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum. It is also used to look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits and to evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss"1

What is a colon and colon cancer?

"The colon is the part of the digestive system where the waste material is stored. The rectum is the end of the colon adjacent to the anus. Together, they form a long, muscular tube called the large intestine (also known as the large bowel). Tumors of the colon and rectum are growths arising from the inner wall of the large intestine. Benign tumors of the large intestine are called polyps. Malignant tumors of the large intestine are called cancers. Benign polyps do not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of the body. Benign polyps can be easily removed during colonoscopy and are not life-threatening. If benign polyps are not removed from the large intestine, they can become malignant (cancerous) over time. Most of the cancers of the large intestine are believed to have developed from polyps. Cancer of the colon and rectum (also referred to as colorectal cancer) can invade and damage adjacent tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also break away and spread to other parts of the body (such as liver and lung) where new tumors form. The spread of colon cancer to distant organs is called metastasis of the colon cancer. Once metastasis has occurred in colorectal cancer, a complete cure of the cancer is unlikely.

Globally, cancer of the colon and rectum is the third leading cause of cancer in males and the fourth leading cause of cancer in females. The frequency of colorectal cancer varies around the world".2

Since colonoscopy is the golden standard procedure for detecting colon cancer, it is advised to have it at the age of 40 years old above, and people with 1st degree relatives that had colon cancer since colon cancer is hereditary.

1 - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/
2 - http://www.medicinenet.com/colon_cancer/article.htm