Colon Cancer Prevention

There are some things that you can do to reduce your risk of getting colon cancer. Colon cancer prevention is an essential component and prevention begins with regular screenings. Sometimes non cancerous polyps can contribute to colon cancer and these can be detected by a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy and they can be detected very early. If they are detected then they can be removed and this will further act as a precaution to getting colon cancer. The good news is that if colon cancer is found early and treated early, it is one of the most curable types of cancer.

Changing your diet is also a very wise idea. Lower your fat and calorie intake for starters and also limit your meat and alcohol consumption. People who are probably at the highest risk are those who are not very physically active and have high fat and calorie diets. Some doctors will recommend that a patient quit smoking, eliminate or significantly reduce their alcohol consumption, using aspirin, and taking vitamins can greatly reduce your chances of getting colon cancer.

Eating a low fat and high fiber diet is a good beginning in reducing your chances of getting colon cancer. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, grains, and foods that are high in folic acids. Exercise is very important and just getting healthy can again significantly reduce your chances of not only colon cancer but any illness in general.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the US alone and is can be easily detected if found early enough and easily treated as well. The deaths caused by colon cancer have dropped quite a bit in the past decade or so because of advancements in technology. One of the main ways of detecting colon cancer very early on is through a colonoscopy. This is a painless test that is given while you are either sedated or asleep. A very small scope is used to screen the colon thoroughly and has been very effective. The scope has a camera on it and views the entire colon whereas other similar procedures only view parts of it.

Besides detecting colon cancer, your doctor could recommend a colonoscopy for other reasons as well such as unexplained anemia, for tissue that needs a biopsy, blood in the stool, and for any other suspected bowel disorder or disease.