HealthLinks Upstate March/April 2019

34 | www.UpstatePhysiciansSC.com | www.HealthLinksUpstate.com COLORECTAL CANCER By the Numbers The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is 4.49 PERCENT for men and 4.15 PERCENT for women. – American Cancer Society Colorectal cancer can be cured in up to 90 PERCENT of people when it is discovered in its early stages. – American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons 101,420 new cases of colon cancer and 44,180 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2019. – American Cancer Society Approximately 2,166 people in South Carolina are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, and 829 of them die from the disease. – South Carolina Cancer Alliance South Carolina ranks 26TH in the United States in the incidence of colorectal cancer and 22ND in the country in deaths due to the disease. – South Carolina Cancer Alliance Approximately 40,000 lives a year could be saved through widespread adoption of colorectal cancer screening and early treatment. – American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Dr. Green cited a possibility for the increase in colorectal can- cer among people in their 40s and younger. He said one theory places the blame on the increased use of antibiotics among children, which “has made a change in the bacterial flora of the digestive track.” In addition to genetics, smoking and lack of exercise might increase your chances of getting colorectal cancer, but the typical American lifestyle is among the major factors, according to Dr. Bul- siewicz. He pointed out that the average American diet consists of 65 per- cent processed foods, 25 percent meat and dairy and only 10 percent vegetables, fruits and whole grains – and way too many preservatives and red and processed meat. “We should eliminate pro- cessed food that comes in packages and cans. They’re taking natural foods and putting unnatural chemicals in them so they can sit on a shelf for a year,” he said. He added that the best diet to maintain a healthy colon includes vegetables such as kale, cauliflower and broccoli sprouts, as well as all types of beans and whole grains. He said turmeric can be helpful as well. Regardless of how healthy your diet is, colon or rectal cancer remains a possibility, which is one reason March has been des- ignated as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Some people have no symptoms, but Drs. Bulsiewicz and Green both encour- aged people not to ignore the warning signs: rectal bleeding, anemia, abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits or the shape of your stool. “Just because you’re in your 40s and active, if you have blood in your stool, don’t ignore it. Talk to your doctor about it,” Dr. Green said. Dr. Bulsiewicz added that everyone should take a three- part approach to avoiding colorectal cancer: lifestyle and diet; if you are eligible for a colonoscopy because of your age, get it done; if you are not eligible but have symptoms, consider getting a colonoscopy. “ Colonoscopies are not just to diagnose. They are to identify polyps,” Dr. Bulsiewicz added. “They are painlessly removed during a colonoscopy, which we think can prevent 90 percent of colon cancers. “