Friday Focus

Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!

Our Friday Focus is on colorectal cancer.

I share this with you today because my grandfather had colorectal cancer that he ignored for a long time which resulted in him loosing a large portion of his intestine.  If found early your quality of life need not be changed. Without early detection you will be tied to a colostomy bag.

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. This year, more than 135,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,200 will die of the disease.

With certain types of screening, this cancer can be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be easily and successfully treated.

You might be at an increased risk for colorectal cancer if you:
*Are age 50 or older

*Smoke or use tobacco

*Are overweight or obese, especially if you carry fat around your waist

*Are not physically active

*Drink alcohol in excess (especially if you are a man)

*Eat a lot of red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb, or a lot of processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs or cold cuts

*Have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or benign (not cancerous) colorectal polyps

*Have a personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease 

Symptoms

Early stages of colorectal cancer don’t usually have symptoms. Later on, people may have these symptoms:

*Bleeding from the rectum or blood in or on the stool

*Change in bowel habits

*Stools that are more narrow than usual

*General problems in the abdomen, such as bloating, fullness or cramps

*Diarrhea, constipation or a feeling in the rectum that the bowel movement isn’t quite complete

*Weight loss for no apparent reason

*Being tired all the time

*Vomiting

If you have any of these symptoms go see your doctor. It is better to safe than sorry.