Sep
bowel cancer runs in my family
my grandpa had it and died when i was six
then my mum when i was nine
im 15 but could i get it?
what can i do to reduce risks
Answer:
Home – About cancer – Cancer types – Colorectal
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly called bowel cancer, is the second most common cancer in both men and women. Eighty per cent of cases are sporadic with no known hereditary genetic associations. Colorectal cancer is preceded by adenomas (polyps), which if undetected become invasive cancer.
Incidence and mortality
There are more than 12,500 new cases each year. The risk of being diagnosed by age 85 is 1 in 10 for men and 1 in 15 for women. More than 4372 people die of colorectal cancer each year.
Screening
Screening with a test for blood in the faeces is available through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to Australians who turn 55 or 65 between 1 Might 2006 and 30 June 2008. Abnormal tests are followed up with a colonoscopy.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include:
change in bowel habit with diarrhea, constipation or the feeling of incomplete emptying
thin bowel movements
blood in the motion or abdominal bloating or cramping.
More general symptoms are:
tiredness
weight loss
unexplained anaemia
Diagnosis is by a colonoscopy.
Staging
Staging is determined by how far the cancer has penetrated through the bowel wall. Stage I is superficial, stage II is deeper and stage III is when the cancer has gone through the thickness of the wall or out into the tissues or lymph nodes beside the bowel. Stage 4 means the cancer has spread to other organs, commonly the liver.
A CT scan can be used to detect spread to the liver or lungs. A blood test, CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) if elevated, can be used to monitor the progress of the disease.
Causes
Risk factors include age, inherited genetic risk, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and smoking.
Prevention
Not smoking, a healthy diet with plenty fresh fruit and vegetables, and maintaining a healthy body weight all contribute to reducing the risk of bowel cancer.
Treatment
Stage I and II disease can be treated with surgery alone to remove the bowel and surrounding lymph nodes. Stage III disease requires surgery and additional chemotherapy to try to prevent recurrence. Widespread disease is treated with chemotherapy. More recently targeted therapies are being trialed in addition to chemotherapy.
Prognosis
With stage I colorectal cancer 90% of patients will still be alive at five years. This falls to 87% with stage II, 57% with stage III and 10% for widespread disease.
For more information, please contact The Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 (cost of a local call).
This page was last updated October 2007
Answer:
Bowel cancer is rarely hereditary - fewer than 5% of all cases are hereditary and due to a high-risk inherited gene defect.
However, a strong family history is a risk factor, and a strong family history means having one first degree relative ( parent or sibling) diagnosed before the age of 45, or two first degree relatives (from the same side of the family)diagnosed at any age
What you need to do is speak over with your doctor whether regular screening is appropriate for you. - if s/he is concerned that you’re at increased risk s/he might refer you to a geneticist.
Talk it over with your parents first. Good luck.
Edit* ALL the information I’ve given here comes from Cancer Research UK
Answer:
if it runs in your family i would get tested and get some answers quite quickly.
my hubby has had bowel cancer, his onset was at 40, but we believe he’d the tumor for several years, as it was quite big (6 cms).
the experts all expected his cancer to have been hereditary… but when he did all the tests, it turns out he was just extreamly unlucky.
the cancer then metassied (moved) to his liver, and he had that resected lots more chemo and is now, 2 yrs post surgery doing great.
you need to see a geneticest and an oncologist or blood specialist and get some answers… if more then one family member got bowel cancer, you need to be tested early for it. its quite treatable early on. (hubbys was duke c, or stage 3).
to reduce risks, reduce processed foods, eat food in its natural say and avoid excessive comsumption of red meats and animal fats.
a lot of studies are showing definate links between big red meat consumption and bowel cancer.
Answer:
Cancer is normally caused by irregular or damaged DNA. This can be caused by the attack of free-radicals, enzymes released to the body by several means including smoking or introducing other forms of toxins to the body, poor diet, and overworking your body.
To avoid cancer you should not smoke or do other drugs, avoid overworking or over excersizing but keep a healthy excersize regimen, also be sure to include plenty of anti-oxidant rich foods in your diet. A good multivitamin-multimineral-phytonutrient regimen is also highly suggested.
At 15, you really shouldn't have much to worry about. Eat healthy, excersize regularly and don't smoke or do drugs is all you should need to worry about.
Answer:
Yes, you can get it. You can get yourself checked yearly. I dont know what you can do to reduce the risks, i think it`s ideal if you can speak to your physician about this.
Answer:
www.cancertutor.com
Answer:
regular check ups is all i can offer