Next March 31 commemorates the World Colon Cancer Daywhich is why it was the central theme of this first meeting of the Talk with the Specialist, Educating the Community, a space that had the participation of the Dr. Sandra Lorena Avendano, Coloproctologist of the Institution, who with his extensive experience clarified doubts and informed the auditorium attendees and participants connected through Facebook Live.
The Imbanac Medical Centero It has a multidisciplinary group of specialists that supports the diagnosis and treatment of the main conditions that lead to the diagnosis of colon cancer. The alarm signs with which patients suspected of this type of disease commonly present are associated with affectations during deposition. “Appearance of blood in stools, persistent abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation lasting more than a month, positive fecal occult blood, change in the shape of stools in thin or banded form, in addition to symptoms such as a feeling of incomplete evacuation, fatigue, unintentional weight loss, are some of the conditions for which patients come to the clinic. Anyone age 50 or older who has any of these symptoms should be referred immediately for a colonoscopy total” highlights the specialist. The Dr. Sandra Lorena Avendanomedical specialist in coloproctology (surgery of the colon, rectum and anus) of the Medical Center.
Many of these symptoms are related to conditions other than colon cancer, such as infections, hemorrhoids, or irritable bowel syndrome. So if you have any of these signs, it’s important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated if needed.
Within the prevention mechanisms that exist to avoid colon cancer, two types are known: primary prevention, is what the patient can do to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer, and secondary prevention, refers to the measures that a government assumes for the population in general and avoids the accelerated development of the pathology.
Within healthy lifestyle habits, the Dr. Avendanorecommends exercising at least 5 times a week for more than 30 minutes, avoiding obesity by having a balanced diet including fruits and vegetables, suppressing alcohol and smoking.
In relation to secondary prevention, the tests that the government adopted since May 2013 are published in the management guides of the Ministry of Social Protection, in which it is mentioned that every person from the age of 50 who does not have symptoms has the right to have fecal occult blood performed with immunochemistry and every 2 years colonoscopy all every 10 years. Which must be covered by the health entity to which it belongs.
Why does Colon Cancer occur?
Cancer begins as a growth called a polyp on the inner lining of the colon or from the rectum. Some types of polyps can turn into cancer over several years. The chance of turning into a cancer depends on the type of polyp. The polyps that can cause the colon cancer They are adenomatous polyps (adenomas). Because of this, adenomas are called precancerous conditions, explains the doctor avendañospecialist in this subject.
It should be noted that most colorectal cancers, that is, more than 90% occur in people with no family history. In the world the incidence of colon cancer it begins at age 50, although in the United States it begins at age 45; And as people age, the risk increases exponentially.
Taking into account that this pathology is the fourth cause of death by cancer in Colombia; In Cali, according to the population registry of the disease, the incidence reached figures of up to 14 per 100,000 inhabitants to reach third place.
Alarming figures that allow adopting campaigns and strategies that help prevention and increase interest in the community to perform medical check-ups that allow diagnosing any anomaly that may arise in relation to the colon cancer; one of the cancers that can be cured, without forgetting that the most important treatment is the one that is carried out before the colon cancerthat is, when the precancerous lesion is present, which are the “polyps”, which are removed during a colonoscopy preventing its development in the intestine, manifests the coloproctologist.
“Once colon cancer appears, management depends on the level at which it is found, that is, how far the tumor has penetrated into the layers of the intestine and whether it has already metastasized. In these cases, the 5-year survival rates are: In situ (initial stage): 100% – localized: 90% – regional: 71% – distant: 14%”, explains the Institution’s specialist.
When the cancer is found in its early stage, it can generally be treated through a colonoscopy in which a direct removal of the tumor is performed without requiring further treatment; but it does require close monitoring by colonoscopy periodically. Once the tumor deeply invades the layers of the intestine, it is considered an invasive tumor. The next step is to perform surgery; if a tumor with more advanced levels is present, the help of the chemotherapy so that it does not spread to other organs and metastasize. When the chemotherapy It is the treatment of choice since it improves the survival of the operated patients.
On March 27, the space created to promote knowledge and encourage interest in disease prevention was held, “Chat with the specialist, Educating the Community” launched a new format with a fresh setting that allowed to provide attendees a pleasant moment, additionally, live transmission was carried out through the social network Facebook, which allowed the connection of interested people who could not travel to the facilities of the Medical Center.
See the Conference in the following