Chadwick Boseman (1976–2020)

Colon Cancer

‘Some studies have found an increased risk of colon cancer in people who eat diets high in red meat and processed meat’.

I woke up this morning to the sad news of the demise of a popular Hollywood actor,who battled colon cancer.It dawned on me i have not written any article on colon cancer-one of the most common cancers .So today i decided to write about colon cancer and create more awareness on the measures we can take to help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Bowel cancer is a general term for cancer that begins in the large bowel. Depending on where the cancer starts, bowel cancer is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer.

Colon cancer is a type of cancer that affects the large intestine (colon). The colon is part of the digestive tract,and is found towards the end of the digestive tract.Colon cancer is a type of bowel cancer. Colon cancer is sometimes called colorectal cancer, which is a term that combines colon cancer and rectal cancer.

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer include:

‘Many people with colon cancer experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they’ll likely vary, depending on the cancer’s size and location in your large intestine’.(Mayo Clinic)

These symptoms need to be taken seriously especially when they persist for a long time.If your symptoms have persisted for more than 4 weeks ,you should seek medical intervention immediately .This does not mean you have colon cancer but it’s highly important you complete the necessary tests.

Causes/Risk Factors

The exact cause of colon cancer is not fully understood,In general just like other cancers, colon cancer begins when healthy cells in the colon start to manifest changes in their DNA,A cell’s DNA contains a set of instructions that tell a cell what to do.

The cells can become cancerous when the DNA is damaged and begin to divide and grow out of proportion until they accumulate to form a tumour.With time, the cancer cells can invade and destroy normal tissue nearby. And cancerous cells can travel to other parts of the body to form deposits there (metastasis)

Risk factors are factors that may increase an individuals risk of developing colon cancer,they include (list is not exhaustive):

Prevention

Clinicians have recommend that people with an average risk of colon cancer consider colon cancer screening around age 50,but screening could start earlier than 50.There are different screening options to choose from.Please discuss your options with your clinician.

Lifestyle changes that could reduce your risk of developing colon cancer

You can adopt the following lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of developing colon cancer:

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, please seek urgent medical intervention.Also note that these symptoms are common with other diseases as well, so experiencing the symptoms does not mean you have colon cancer.

This article was written in memory of Chadwick Boseman,who sadly passed away after a 4 year battle with colon cancer,aged 43

Article curated by Adaku Efuribe

Reference :

NHS UK https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer/,

Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/colon-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353669

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Forbes Ignite Featured- Creates Social Impact & Sustainability | Health Promotion Ambassador |UN SDGs Advocate

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Adaku Efuribe

Forbes Ignite Featured- Creates Social Impact & Sustainability | Health Promotion Ambassador |UN SDGs Advocate