Many of us seem to downplay or even completely ignore our risks of getting colon cancer because of the popular belief that it is an “old man’s disease”. While it is partly true that the “older” populace are at a higher risk of getting, it does not mean that the “younger” generations are completely safe.
It has been found out in recent studies that the chances of people as young as 40 getting colon cancer has significantly increased in the previous years; and it continues to do so in the present. And it is not solely about age either, as there are other important factors that help tell whether or not you’re going to get colon cancer.
Join me today as I discuss why colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States in line with colon cancer prevention month.
Why you need to check out this episode:
- Learn about the two types of colon cancer, what it does to our body, and why it is important to get checked early especially if you have it in your family history;
- Discover the causes and risk factors that surround colon cancer – both those that you can and cannot control; and
- Find out what steps you can do in order to avoid colon cancer as well as the available diagnostic tools you can avail in case you want to be tested for it
“Once you get your minds around colon cancer, it will help you understand just why we think it’s so important that we need a whole month to talk about it. And even though we’re going to talk about it during this month, this is a topic that I will touch on every single year.” –Dr. Berry Pierre
Topics Covered:
00:00 – Today’s focus: The second leading cause of death related to cancer in the United States, colon cancer, and how to take action against it
01:14 – Colon cancer by the numbers: Anticipated diagnoses, deaths, age groups at risk, and the mortality and incidence rates of African-Americans compared to the rest of the population
04:34 – Colon cancer FAQs: The two types of colon cancers, where it occurs, the pace at which it spreads, and why we need to take preventative actions against it early on
06:50 – Risk factors that you have no control over: The likelihood of getting colon cancer according to age, family history, race, and gender
10:14 – Risk factors that you have control over: How your lifestyle including diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, and being sedentary affects your chances of getting or avoiding colon cancer
12:14 – The common symptoms: Things to watch out for if you suspect that you have colon cancer
15:05 – Options on checking for colon cancer: Some of the common diagnostic tools for colon cancer, and the pros and cons of each of them
20:50 – Colon cancer prevention: Dietary and lifestyle modifications you can do to avoid getting colon cancer
Notable Quotes:
“This disease is no longer a disease of the old people which we used to think about.” – Dr. Berry Pierre
“That is our biggest issue. We are catching colon cancer way too late to the point where it should not be the second leading cause of death in our country.”- Dr. Berry Pierre
“It [colon cancer] is definitely something that we cannot take lightly… Understand that this disease is not going away, and the likelihood that you in your lifetime are either going to be directly or indirectly affected by it is so high.”- Dr. Berry Pierre
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