J’cans urged to get screened for colorectal cancer
Published:Tuesday | March 26, 2024 | 12:07 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
JAMAICANS ARE being encouraged to gain greater knowledge on what colorectal cancer is and when it would be most appropriate for them to visit their doctor for a screening examination.
Speaking at a colon cancer symposium hosted at The University Health Centre last Wednesday, gastroenterologist Dr Mike Mills said that colon cancer was the third cancer- related cause of death in Jamaica among both males and females.
According to the Jamaica Cancer Registry’s most recent data, there were 13 cases locally per 100,000 individuals in 2018.
The five most common types of cancer in Jamaica continue to be those of the prostate, breast, colon, lung, and cervix uteri.
Everyone is at some risk of developing colon cancer, Mills said, adding that the most significant factor influencing that risk is age. This, as the older a person is, the greater their chance of developing colon cancer.
According to the Colon Cancer Coalition, a US-based organisation, this is the reason why routine screening is so important.
The coalition notes that over 75 per cent of cases of colon and rectal cancer occur in individuals without known risk factors. It further states that colon cancer is most common among people aged 50 and older but can also occur in patients as young as teenagers.
Mills stated that other risk factors of developing colon cancer included a history of smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and an inadequate diet that was high in fat, red or processed meat, or deficient in fibre.
He advised people to investigate their family or personal history of colon cancer in order to determine their genetic risk profile for the disease.
One medical condition that can raise a person’s risk of colon cancer is ulcerative colitis. Dr Mills stated that even though it is not extremely common, it was crucial that those who are affected by it do their screenings.
“Having identified these risks is not enough for you to actually decide if you have the condition, and one of the common things is that people want to know the signs of colon cancer... because, of course, you don’t want to be having the condition, wondering about it and not taking steps,” he said.
A change in bowel habits that is difficult to explain is one of the signs and symptoms that may point to colon cancer. Changes can include mucous or blood in the stool, diarrhoea, or even constipation.
According to Mills, the normal average for passing stool is at least one to two times a day without effort or presence of blood.
Other factors may include loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, and unexplained anaemia, especially in individuals 50 years and over.
Typically, he said, the signs and symptoms start to show when the disease is fairly advanced. These signs and symptoms are usually confined to the region of the large bowel.
“Everybody over the age of 45 should have some kind of screening test for colon cancer. This is whether or not you have signs and symptoms to look for the early stage of it or preventative stage,” he said.
He went on to say that unless a patient is well enough to undergo screening, doctors usually stop carrying out screening tests after the age of 75.
The screening tests for colon cancer include an annual faecal occult blood test, a colonoscopy done every 10 years, and a computed tomography colonoscopy.
To detect other predominant cancers, tests for women include mammogram, Pap smear, and a colon check.
Meanwhile, men would conduct screenings such as the prostate and colon checks.