Colorectal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells grow in the tissues of the colon or the rectum, which makes up the final 5 to 6 feet of the body’s digestive system. This cancer is among the top three most common cancers in both men and women in the United States and Puerto Rico. Colorectal cancer is preventable yet despite the success in the past decades in decreasing new colorectal cancer cases and deaths, it is still the second leading cause of cancer related death in the United States and in Puerto Rico.
Colorectal cancer often begins as growth tissue called a polyp. Polyps that occur in the colon or rectum can be benign but some can continue to grow and develop into cancer. Colorectal polyps can take as many as 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer and don’t always cause symptoms (dark stools, weight loss, abdominal pain and blood mixed in the stool), especially at an early stage. Regular colorectal cancer screening is one of the most powerful tools against colorectal cancer.
Screening is checking for health problems before they cause symptoms. With regular colon cancer screening, doctors can find polyps before they turn into cancerous or find colorectal cancer at an early stage. When colorectal cancer is found at an early stage before it has spread, it is usually more treatable with a 5-year relative survival rate of about 90%. Screening saves lives.
Colonoscopy: For this procedure, the gastroenterologist examines the entire length of the colon and rectum with a colonoscope, a flexible tube about the width of a finger with a light and small video camera on the end. It’s put in through the anus and into the rectum and colon. Special instruments can be passed through the colonoscope to biopsy (take a sample) or remove any suspicious-looking areas such as polyps, if needed. The colonoscopy provides a diagnostic and therapeutic approach all within 20–40 minutes.
