The death of actor and “Black Panther” star Chadwick Bozman at the age of 43 will draw attention to the risk of colon cancer, especially “young onset” colorectal cancer, which is on the rise among people under the age of 0. Things to know about the disease.
What is colon cancer, and what are its symptoms?
Colon cancer, also called colorectal cancer, starts in the intestines in the digestive tract and tends to grow slowly over many years. It usually starts with a tissue growth called a polyp, and removing the polyp early can prevent cancer.
Cancer does not cause symptoms initially, but symptoms may include bowel movements, bleeding, abdominal pain, fatigue, and unwanted weight loss.
How common is colorectal cancer? How deadly is that?
Colorectal cancer is the second most common type of cancer after breast, lung and prostate cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. There will be an estimated 147,950 new cases and 53,200 estimated deaths in 2020, accounting for 8.8% of all cancer-related deaths.
“Cancer is more common in men than women and more common in black Americans,” said Kimmy Ng, director of the Young-Osset Colorectal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
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