Cecchini said people should never take their symptoms lightly and it’s important to tell your doctor if you notice blood in your stool, chronic abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, or unexplained weight loss. .
“It’s very easy for young people to think, ‘Oh, it’s just hemorrhoids’ or something like that…and that may be the case, but they can also co-exist,” Cecchini says. says. “People definitely have hemorrhoids and cancer, but it could also be something else entirely.”
In general, having a colonoscopy or another colorectal cancer test is the best way to reduce your risk or catch colorectal cancer early. People can undergo “screening with colonoscopies and stool-based tests,” Cecchini said. Talk to your doctor to determine which screening is best for you.
For most people, screening begins at age 45. However, if you have any of the symptoms listed above or meet certain criteria, you may be eligible for screening. Colonoscopy by age 45said Duker.
“People who have a first-degree relative, such as a mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter, who has had colon cancer are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, especially if the person is diagnosed before age 50. You should look at your family history and talk to your doctor about when you should start getting colonoscopies,” Duker explained.
You may also have a colonoscopy before age 45 if you have had inflammatory bowel disease, radiation therapy to the pelvis or abdomen, or if you have certain genetic syndromes or a history of colon cancer. Duker points out that it’s better to take it.
Suffice it to say, it’s important to keep your doctor informed about your medical history and any problems you may be experiencing. But while you need to take all of this seriously, you also don’t need to panic.
“All of these symptoms don’t necessarily mean colon cancer,” Duker says. Instead, it may mean you need a colonoscopy to determine what’s going on. And the cause is It was done Whether you have colon cancer or precancerous polyps, early detection of the disease is the best way to treat it.
“It’s important to detect cancer early through screening and warnings for some of these symptoms, so we can diagnose cancer at an earlier stage when it’s more treatable and, hopefully, curable. ” said Cecchini. “We still cure the majority of patients with this cancer every year.”
This article was first published HuffPost.
