Mary Alice Reporting –
March raises awareness on the disease of colon cancer.
Ed Schumacher, the founder of WTUZ Radio, died from the disease March 20, 2013, at the age of 60. One of his last wishes was to encourage individuals to not wait for signs or symptoms, and that screening can save lives.
Colorectal cancer is on the rise in younger adults, in the United States, being the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related death in men and 4th in women. Data from the National Cancer Database indicates that since 2004, there has been a 15% increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses in people aged 18-50.
Allegheny Health Network Commission on Cancer State Chair Dr. James McCormick says screening typically starts at age 45, but with this uptick from the younger generation, those who may experience symptoms or irregularities with bowel movements are advised to talk to a doctor about screening.
“If you have symptoms at any age, I see people in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, with unfortunately, colon cancer and rectal cancer and these things are life changing, and if you don’t ignore symptoms, we can get them earlier.”
McCormick explains that there is no data on why the younger generation is testing positive for colorectal cancer but there are steps to possibly mitigate the risk of developing.
“Eating healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables, green leafy greens vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercise. Obviously avoiding smoking and alcohol consumption in moderation. All of those things have been shown to decrease the risk of developing colorectal cancer.”
Data also revealed that people born in 1990 have double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer compared with people born in 1950. For more information, go to www.cancer.org.
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