Women and Colon Cancer

Dr. Michael Snyder
Colorectal Surgeon
The Methodist Hospital

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, affecting both men and women. Yet women significantly underrate their risk for the disease, worrying more about breast, ovarian and lung cancers, according to a survey by the Entertainment Industry Foundation's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance.

Understanding your risk factors and how to control them, as well as undergoing regular screenings, can help protect you from the disease.

Are You at Risk?
The following factors may increase your risk of developing colon cancer. If you have one or more of these characteristics, talk to your doctor about preventive care and an appropriate screening schedule.

Age. Colon cancer is most common in adults over 50.

Diet. Eating a diet high in fat and calories and low in fiber may increase your risk.

Polyps. These benign growths on the inner wall of the colon and rectum may lead to colon cancer.

Medical history. If you have a personal history of ovarian, breast, uterine or colorectal cancer, or if a family member — particularly a first-degree relative — has had colon cancer, odds are greater that you will develop the disease.

Ulcerative colitis. This and other inflammatory diseases of the colon can increase your risk.

Michael J. Snyder, M.D., a colorectal surgeon at The Methodist Hospital and the hospital's Cancer Liaison Physician with the American College of Surgeons, stresses the importance of regular screenings, particularly for those over the age of 50. "Regular screenings can detect precancerous polyps. If caught early, the polyps can be removed before invasive cancer develops."

Screening for Colon Cancer
The American Cancer Society suggests that individuals age 50 and over follow one of these five screening schedules. However, your doctor may recommend a different schedule based on your personal risk factors.

1. Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year. These simple tests look for blood in the stool.

2. Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years. The doctor uses a lighted tube called a sigmoidoscope to look inside the colon.

3. Combination of annual FOBT or FIT and sigmoidoscopy every five years.

4. Double-contrast barium enema every five years. This involves an enema with a barium solution and air pumped into the rectum, after which X-rays of the rectum and colon are taken.

5. Colonoscopy every 10 years. The rectum and entire colon are examined using a long, lighted tube called a colonoscope. The patient is sedated during the procedure.

In addition, your physician should perform a digital rectal exam as part of your routine physical examination to feel for abnormal lumps.

Take the opportunity to talk to your doctor about what you can do to help reduce your risk of colorectal cancer.

To schedule an appointment with your physician, call 866-599-8389 or visit www.methodisthealth.com.