Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Although I have been talking a lot about National Nutrition Month®, it is not the only event in March! Another theme for this month is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and since cancer and nutrition are related, I wanted to take some time to focus on this disease.

What is colorectal cancer?

It is cancer of the colon (aka large intestine) and rectum (aka the “storage area for poo”, right above the anus inside). It is the 4th most common type of cancer in men and women (and the second leading cause of death from cancer), and it occurs in equal amounts in men and women. About 50,000 people die each year from the disease.

Several risk factors for colorectal cancer

• Age (risk increases after the age of 40)
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol
• Colorectal polyps (which are growths that develop on the inside of the colon or rectum–if the growths aren’t removed, they can turn into cancer).

Some studies show that eating a diet high in fiber and low in animal fat (found in meats/poultry, high fat dairy products) may protect against colorectal cancer, but there is not enough evidence out there to make this claim.One of the most important things you can do to prevent colorectal cancer is to get screened when you are 50 or older. Yes, this means that you will need to have some tests done (like a colonoscopy), but I think that it’s worth it because, if you do have polyps, you can get them removed, which will decrease your risk of developing colorectal cancer! If you think that you should get tested for colorectal cancer, ask your doctor! And keep bugging your parents and loved ones if they are over 50 and have yet to get that colonoscopy or be screened for colorectal cancer!

Some lifestyle changes that you can make

• Lose weight if you are overweight
• Minimize the amount of alcohol you consume each day (limit to 1 drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men; 1 drink = 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, and 1.5 ounces of hard liquor).

As well, although there is no concrete evidence that eating a diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables, and lower in total fat and animal fat will decrease your risk of colorectal cancer, it hasn’t been shown to harm you to follow a healthy diet! Much research is being done on the topic of colorectal cancer and diet, and I am sure that we will have more information in the months/years to come!

Check out the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, and American Institute for Cancer Research websites for more information.

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