Colorectal screening & warning signs of Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

The National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) acknowledges CRC as the third most common cancer and the second most common cause of death from cancer for both Canadian men and women.

Yet CRC is a highly treatable cancer if it is detected early and it is up to 95 per cent preventable with timely and thorough testing or "CRC screening".

The majority of CRCs begin as benign growths in the lining of the colon called adenomatous polyps. Over the years, these polyps grow in size and number, thereby increasing the risk that the cells in the polyps will become cancerous. Timely removal of these growths - easily done during a colonoscopy - will prevent CRC from developing. It is important to identify and remove these polyps as soon as possible.

Polyp removal is usually done during a colonoscopy and the patient is sedated during the procedure. Recovery is very quick and usually pain-free. Polyps are sent for a biopsy and tested for any malignancies.

CRC Warning Signs

	Blood in or on the stool (either bright red or very dark in colour)
	A persistent change in normal bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation or both, for no apparent reason
	Frequent or constant cramps if they last for more than a few days
	Stools that are narrower than usual
	General stomach discomfort (bloating, fullness and/or cramps)
	Frequent gas pains
	A strong and continuing need to move your bowels, but with little stool
	A feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
	Weight loss for no known reason
	Constant tiredness

Note :

Many people diagnosed with CRC never had any symptoms or early warning signs. Below are the most common signs of CRC, but it is important to note that the symptoms are not unique to CRC - check with your doctor if you suspect a problem.

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People at higher risk

There are some people who are considered to be at higher risk than the general population for CRC include:

People with a family history of CRC. If you have a first degree relative (parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent) with CRC, you should get tested 10 years before his/her age of diagnosis. If he/she was diagnosed at 48, you should be tested when you are 38 years old.

People who have already been diagnosed with polyps or early stage CRC.

People who have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease).

People with a family history of inherited breast cancer, uterine or ovarian cancer.

Middle-aged people, 50 years and over.

If you are at higher risk, you should talk to your doctor about being screened as soon as possible.

The possibility of a diagnosis of advanced colon cancer in patients in their 40s is not uncommon and CRC has been seen in patients in their 20s. If you are concerned, get screened - there is not a health advantage to inaction.

Mariellen Black did not think there was a family history of CRC, but when she began to discuss it with her siblings, they remembered a grandfather and great grandmother who died of liver bowel cancer. Chances are the primary cancer in each case may have been colon.

Moral of the story: discuss your family history with older relatives. People may not have mentioned bowel cancer, colon cancer or cancer of the rectum. They were too embarrassed - we must not be!

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