ColoRectal Cancer: America’s 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths
It’s the beginning of March, which means that it is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. As the 2nd leading cancer cause of death in the United States, Colorectal Cancer has actually decreased over the years in adults over 50; however, in recent years the numbers of those under 50 being diagnosed with it are increasing. The estimated numbers for 2023 of colorectal cancer are more than 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer this year.
how does colon cancer form
Your colon and rectum are a part of the 5-foot long, large intestine in your body. What does the colon do? Through the process of digestion that begins in your mouth, the colon is close to the last stop. After food is broken down and the vitamins and minerals are absorbed in your small intestine, the remaining liquid is passed to the colon where water is absorbed and the materials broken down even further before being passed into the rectum. The rectum then moves the waste out of your body.
This is a very short description of an amazing process in your body that collects the nutrients your body needs to thrive. But it illustrates how vital and essential your digestive system is for your body, and how important your colon and rectum are in that process.
So, how does the cancer form in the colon or rectum? “Colorectal cancer forms when the DNA in cells in the colon or rectum develop mutations that may make them unable to control growth and division. In many cases, these mutated cells die or are attacked by the immune system. But some mutated cells may escape the immune system and grow out of control, forming a tumor in the colon or rectum.”
causes and preventions
No one is sure of what causes colon or rectal cancer. Throughout the years, research has pointed to a few risk factors, such as:
Being overweight or obese
Not being physically active
Unhealthy diet
Smoking
Alcohol.
These risk factors are more of the lifestyle changes that are able to be made to prevent the risk of colon cancer. Other factors that can cause colon cancer are Inflammatory Bowel Disease, age, predisposition to colorectal polyps, and rare inherited syndromes.
While there isn’t one clear cause for this cancer, it is increasing in adults younger than 50 years old in the United States. Here are some tips to help prevent your risk for colon or rectal cancer:
Eat a healthy diet: remember that food is not just for enjoyment, but it is information for the trillions of cells in your body. Your body needs nutrients, vitamin, and minerals to thrive. Learn what makes your body feel good.
Lose Weight: Being overweight or obese can create issues within your organs and causes problems with system functionality. Having extra weight also increases inflammation in the body.
Be Physically Active: moving your body and sweating is great for your body. While your colon and rectum excrete waste from your body, sweating and physical activity also get out other toxins from within your body.
Don’t Smoke or Quit Smoking: smoking brings toxins in through your lungs, but also effects various systems of your body such as your cardiovascular system. Don’t forget that everything gets filtered through your liver.
Limit or Don’t Drink Alcohol: alcohol creates an aldehyde in your blood which is a toxin in your bloodstream. Reduce your toxic load by avoiding alcohol as much as you can.
summary
While rates of colon and rectal cancer has decreased since the 1980s in the US population, it is important to note that adults under 50 are now the highest demographic receiving a diagnosis of colon or rectal cancer. There are things you can do to decrease your risk factors for America’s 2nd deadliest cancer, and many of them are lifestyle changes. What we put into and around our bodies makes a difference. It’s never to late to start living your best life through healthy lifestyle changes. The choice is always yours.