More young people than ever will get colorectal cancer this year!
According to the latest studies, the incidence of colorectal cancer among people aged between 25 and 49 is increasing in the European Union. People born around 1990 now have twice the risk of colorectal cancer compared with people born around 1950. The risk of rectal cancer is about four times higher than that of the older age group.
One of the reasons for this is the higher proportion of overweight young people. Other factors are increased alcohol and cigarette consumption and reduced physical activity. Bulgaria is the EU country with the highest incidence of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second most common type of cancer in Bulgaria after lung cancer in men and breast cancer in women. This fact is no coincidence. Only one in ten Bulgarians aged between 50 and 74 undergoes a preventive check-up for this dangerous disease. Meanwhile, in Germany, for example, 80% of people in the same age group are regularly screened for colon cancer.
You may be at higher risk of colon cancer if:
- Have a family history of colorectal cancer: if your parent or brother/sister was diagnosed before the age of 50, you are at even higher risk. People with a family history should get their first colonoscopy at 40. Another option is 10 years before the age at which their family member was diagnosed. (If your parent was diagnosed at age 42, you should start your screenings at age 32.)
- You have inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis can increase your risk of developing colon cancer. People with this diagnosis may need to start colonoscopy for colon cancer screening eight to 10 years after diagnosis. Follow-up should be every two to three years.
- Have a history of polyps or a previous diagnosis of colorectal cancer. In cases where polyps have ever been removed during a colonoscopy or you have had a previous diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Then you may need to have a colonoscopy every year or up to five years between colonoscopies.
- You have a genetic condition such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome, also called hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). People with these conditions may need to have their first colonoscopy as early as age 10 to 12. They should continue screening every one to two years depending on individual risk factors.
It is normal for a person to feel uncomfortable at the thought of having a colonoscopy. This is quite natural. However, most people are not at all familiar with the basic facts about the procedure. It is quick, painless, performed under full anesthesia and only takes about 25 minutes. Often these 25 minutes, which the patient has spent on prophylaxis, could have prevented the development of a serious cancer.
On our website www.medikara.bg you can find special offers and check up packages for colon cancer diagnostic options.
Don't wait for the symptoms to appear! Get tested now!
