Be it a colonoscopy or the at-home methods now available, screening is regarded as best for preventing colorectal cancer.
However, there are other steps you can or should take every day to try and avoid the disease.
KERA’s Sam Baker discusses those steps with Dr. Radhika Kainthla , Medical Director of the Medical Oncology Clinics at Parkland Health.
Kainthla: The big things are you want to make sure you're avoiding smoking. It increases your risk for a lot of different cancers. Colorectal cancer is on that list.
And decrease your alcohol intake, if possible.
What's the tie between alcohol and cancer?
In general, we see a lot of different cancers being related to alcohol consumption, especially cancers involving the gastrointestinal tract. So that's like stomach cancers. And that includes colorectal cancer.
And we want to make sure people aren't over-consuming alcohol. So, we always tell patients, when they ask us now and then for social occasions, it may be okay to have one glass, but we don't want regular drinking heavily because it causes a lot of damage, not just cancers, but other medical conditions as well.
Making sure you're eating healthy is something we can all do. And that means trying to eat more fresh foods and fresh fruits - food you prepare yourself, not necessarily those ultra-processed foods.
And then obviously there's exercise. Right now the recommendation is about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. And so make sure you're staying active, moving around and getting your daily exercise. Those are things that can help prevent cancer.
It's also suggested to maintain a healthy weight. Now, what is considered to be a healthy weight?
So everyone is different. I mean it has to do with your height. You know, muscle can sometimes weigh more than fat. So you want to discuss it with your doctor. But in theory, we're looking at a body mass index between 20 to 25.
I was going to ask you about that. Is the body mass index or BMI always realistic?
It depends. It's a goal. But there are different reasons why someone may be thinner or bigger on the scale. It doesn't mean that they're unhealthy. So again, it's a very standardized scale. But there may be reasons why some people may be under it or over it.
It gives a good idea, though, of a goal that we're trying to shoot for. You don't want to be so focused on the number itself, but more on being healthy, exercising, and eating right.
So, the correct weight is something you and your doctor would discuss?
Correct.
What about medications like aspirin or non-steroidal drugs like Motrin, Advil, Aleve?
There have been studies that have looked at these medications. The thought is that they may help prevent colorectal cancer, but that has not quite panned out.
Some of the studies suggest a specific population may benefit from aspirin as a prevention for colorectal cancer, but it's a small percent of patients. And you have to have certain genetic findings.
So it is not a recommendation for the general population to prevent colorectal cancer. There's not enough data there. But that is a space that is being looked at right now.
There are several means of screening for colorectal cancer. Yet cases are going up among younger people. Why do you suppose that is? A lack of awareness? Maybe fear of an invasive process that may keep people from screening or something else?
I think it's a combination of, you know, we don't start screening till 45, and it's hard for younger people to come in to the doctor for the doctor to suspect cancer and do the appropriate work-up.
What can we do about that?
The big thing is know your body and make sure you have a doctor you can go to when things seem like they're not going the way you think they should.
Be very aware of your family history. If someone in your family has been diagnosed with colon cancer in their early 40s, then you need to be aware that you could be at risk, too.
And so just being aware of your body, being in contact with the doctor, and knowing your risk, I think, is very important.
RESOURCES:
- CDC: Reducing Risk for Colorectal Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Does Regular Use of Aspirin Improve Colorectal Cancer Survival?
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