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Download MEDIA BACKGROUNDER: COLON CANCER Colon cancer Colon
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MEDIA BACKGROUNDER: COLON CANCER Colon cancer Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), which is the lower part of the digestive system. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last six inches of the colon. Together, they are referred to as colorectal cancer (commonly called ‘colon cancer’ or ‘bowel cancer’). There are many reasons why a person may develop colon cancer, and some are better understood than others. However, we know that growths on the lining of the colon, called polyps, can sometimes turn into cancer over time. Colon cancer in Ontario Colon cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ontario and the second most common cause of cancer deaths. It is estimated that in 2016, 9,900 Ontarians (about 5,400 men and 4,500 women) were diagnosed with colon cancer and approximately 3,200 Ontarians (1,700 men and 1,500 women) died from the disease. How to check for colon cancer You can check for colon cancer with a fecal occult blood test (FOBT). The FOBT is a safe and painless cancer screening test that checks a person’s stool (poop) for tiny drops of blood, which could be caused by colon cancer. Take-home FOBT kits are available from healthcare providers. People without a family doctor or nurse practitioner can get a kit through Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-828-9213, community pharmacies and mobile screening coaches. Once the samples are collected, they can be sent to a lab for testing using the postage-paid envelope provided in the kit or by returning the kit to a specimen collection centre. Who should be checked for colon cancer? People between 50 and 74 years of age without a parent, brother, sister or child who has been diagnosed with colon cancer are considered to be average risk for the disease and should get checked every two years with the safe and painless take-home test, called the FOBT. People with a family history of colon cancer in parent, brother, sister or child are at an increased risk for developing the disease. These individuals should be checked with a colonoscopy (instead of an FOBT) beginning at age 50, or 10 years earlier than the age their relative was diagnosed, whichever comes first. Some people who have had polyps removed from their colon, as well as people with inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), may be at increased risk for developing colon cancer and may need to be checked regularly with colonoscopy. Benefits of getting checked for colon cancer Screening helps find colon cancer early, when there are no uncomfortable symptoms such as persistent diarrhea and stomach pain, and when treatment has the best chance of working. When colon cancer is caught early, nine out of 10 people with the disease can be cured. If colon cancer is caught after it has already spread to other parts of the body, treating it is harder and less likely to be successful. For people whose colon cancer has spread, as few as one out of eight will be cured. For more information about colon cancer screening in Ontario, visit www.cancercare.on.ca/colon. Media contact: Cancer Care Ontario Phone: 1-855-460-2646 Email: [email protected]
