Colon Cancer: It’s Not

Just a Man’s Disease

WILTON — Colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as colon cancer) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, claiming more lives than either breast or prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 1,710 people in Connecticut will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year, and 660 will die.

 Yet, there is a belief among some women that colon cancer only affects men. The reality is both men and women are at risk for colon cancer. And while men and women are equally affected, African Americans — a population group experiencing the highest death rates from colon cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States — are at increased risk and are more likely to be diagnosed when the disease is at an advanced stage. The American Cancer Society is using March’s National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month as an opportunity to inform these groups on the importance of prevention and early detection.

“Colon cancer doesn’t have to be as deadly,” said Michelle Wolf, area director of cancer control for the southwestern New England region of the American Cancer Society. “While many people resist the idea of getting screened for the disease, reliable testing options currently exist to find and remove precancerous colon polyps before they develop into a serious health problem — if only people would use them.”

What many Americans do not know is that colon cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Studies show colon cancer early detection and treatment can reduce deaths from this disease, yet only 38 percent of colon cancers are detected in the earliest and most treatable stage. Nationally, people whose colon cancers are found at an early stage have five-year survival rates of 90 percent. For colon cancers found at a later, more advanced stage, the five-year survival rate drops to less than ten percent.

Dr Eddy A. Castillo, a gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates of Fairfield County, said, “There are no specific symptoms attributable to colon cancer. Most people believe that in order to have it they must either have abdominal pain or exhibit rectal bleeding, but they are just wrong. Everyone with or without symptoms needs to be screened.”

Personal risk for colon cancer varies, so your doctor can help you make informed decisions about when to begin testing and the most appropriate testing method for you. Factors associated with increased risk for colon cancer, as well as information on prevention, early detection, and treatment of the disease, can be found on the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org or by calling the society’s National Cancer Information Center at 800-ACS-2345.