So March is colorectal cancer
Awareness Month, one of the most
common and deadly forms of cancer.
A new report released on Friday
warns about a troubling rise of
colorectal cancer among younger people.
Gastroenterologist Walter Coyle
from Scripps MD Anderson Cancer
Center and Scripps Clinic here
to tell us more about that.
Doctor, thanks so much for coming in.
Appreciate your time here.
Let's talk a little bit about this.
This new report found that as of 2019,
20% of new cases occur in
people ages 55 and younger,
and that's actually up 11% from 1995.
Some discouraging information to hear there.
Can you dive a little bit into that
report and what does it tell you?
Well, it is the new statistics.
If you're born in 1990 as opposed to 1950,
you're twice as likely to get colon cancer
and more colon cancer on the left side.
Ohh, OK, your colon as
opposed to the right side.
And there's a lot of reasons
we think that may occur.
What would be some of those reasons?
Well, we're definitely more obese,
we're more sedentary and we're exercising
drops your chance of colon cancer by 20%.
And then diet there maybe the,
the gut bacteria is called the microbiome
and we've changed things with antibiotics,
exposure and also our food
chain probably preservatives,
emulsifiers and stuff like that.
It made a big difference on our microbiome,
which affects whether we
get colon cancer or not.
So I mean once again doctor,
we say it all the time
like a broken record here,
but diet and exercise, right,
are those those really the ways that
we can kind of fight back against
potentially getting colorectal cancer,
fresh fruit, vegetables are very important,
avoiding red meats particularly things like.
Sausage and they're they're preserves
and all the prepared white and you
know dark meats and coffee drops your
chance by 26% for colon cancer and then
taking vitamin D decreases your chance.
So all these things we can do in
our diet and lifestyle and decrease
the chance of getting colon cancer.
Well in the morning show we're big
fans of coffee as you know so that's
that's good and and we're talking
about coffee is it just like a
couple cups a day is that and and
how how and why does that help.
Well it's. Make dose
related and doesn't matter.
It's caffeinated or decaffeinated
and decreases your chance for
liver cancer and colon cancer.
Ohh OK what are some of the warning
signs people should look out for?
That's a great question.
Any change in your bowel habits,
belly pain, blood in your stool,
anemia, that's the thing.
And if you have a family history
you should contact your doctor
about getting screened earlier.
OK let's talk about the colonoscopy.
The age has moved up right for for
for people to get this test right
the task force in 19.
There are 91 said we should drop it to 45.
OK, so now it's 45 to 75,
everyone should get screened.
And then from 75 to 85,
you talked to your doctor
whether you should get screened.
How easy is it to remove the polyps?
The I mean, once once it's found, the
survival rate is pretty good, right? I mean,
we find it early,
we cure you and it's very easy.
In fact, the cure rate has increased
for people and for the last 20 years.
However, now people are getting it more.
Advance at younger ages like Chadwick
Boseman who died of fortune at
age 30 at 43 was diagnosed at 39.
Wow. OK what are some of the
different types of screenings.
Colonoscopy obviously is there.
What else isn't involved in in
trying to identify the cancer.
Well the two big ways to screen
you can just stool based.
There's one you just mail in another
one you you mail the whole stool
in and then colonoscopy there
that the three tests you really
recommend and it's important just
get the test you know and people are
always scared about colonoscopies
and at least get the stool based.
Yes. And then if that's positive,
we'll do the colonoscopy.
But colonoscopy has the advantage
that it finds the the polyps and
takes out before they become cancer.
The stool based test sort of weight.
You have cancer or an advanced polyp,
OK people want to learn more
doctor where can they head to
get some more information and
learn about the right times,
get checkups and everything.
Well, yeah, scripts kind of
website has also information
about colon cancer screening,
but American Cancer Society
is fantastic and there's a big
jazz society, GI cancer.org.
OK. Doctor, thanks so much for coming in.
I really appreciate your time
for thanks for keeping us.