[ad_1]
I did not check for a long time
“The first time I went for a colon cancer test was when I was 58 years old. I thought, I feel good, why do I need it? ”Says Julius from Vilnius.
His wife convinced him to do the research. A few days later, he was very surprised to learn that blood had been found in the stool. “I knew if there was blood, it could be cancer. So I was very scared,” recalls the man. He soon received a referral for a colonoscopy.
“I went to the polyclinic, they anesthetized me and I fell asleep,” Julius recalls. When he woke up, the doctor said that some derivative had been found in his intestine. Since he did not “like” the doctor, he took a biopsy.
“While I was waiting for an answer on the biopsy test, I was feeling like needles. And when I got it, I wasn’t very happy, ”says the man.
The doctor told him that he did not have cancer yet, but that if he had been delayed for a few more months, the condition could have worsened. Julius again underwent a colonoscopy and the derivative was removed. Now you have to have a colonoscopy every year. “The doctor said he needed to be monitored for the unit to recover,” said the interviewee.
Photo from personal album / Juozas Kupčinskas
The reasons are unknown
“Like many cancers, we do not know the cause of colon cancer. It is a disease whose development is influenced by many factors,” says Prof. Dr. Juozas Kupčinskas.
It is certainly known that about 5 percent. Cancer cases are caused by inheritance: family cases in which the cancer occurs at a young age and several people in the same family. Currently there are international guidelines recommending that the families of these patients be actively monitored and screened.
“Unfortunately, in many cases we do not know why colon cancer occurs,” says J. Kupčinskas. – It is believed that it is an interaction between genetic factors still unknown and the environment. Recently, there is a lot of data on the influence of the microbiota in cancer; There are many studies that show that certain bacteria can influence the formation of polyps that can shrink. But for now, these are scientific hypotheses. “
However, the professor emphasizes that it is certainly known that the main factor in the development of colon cancer is being overweight.
“Colon cancer is increasing among young people in the world today. Global experts agree that it is precisely being overweight that causes it, as more and more young people are overweight. By the way, being overweight puts you at risk of cancer not only of the colon, but also of other organs ”, says the specialist.
Smoking also poses a risk of colon cancer. “These are two factors that we can control,” recalls J. Kupčinskas.
Can be identified early
Colon cancer does not cause symptoms for a long time. “A person can have advanced cancer and feel normal, therefore, all Lithuanian people aged 50 to 74 must actively participate in the colon cancer early detection program,” emphasizes the professor.
Everyone this age should have a fecal occult blood test every two years. This test is sent by a family doctor. If blood is found, that person undergoes a colonoscopic examination.
By the way, being overweight puts you at risk of cancer not only of the colon, but also of other organs, says the specialist.
“When a secret hemorrhage is detected, people are very afraid of having cancer. No. Only a small percentage of people can get cancer. It is possible to bleed due to other diseases: polyps, adenoma, hemorrhoids, etc. “, says J. Kupčinskas.
For example, according to data from health insurance funds, in 2019, of the 4,367 people who had a biopsy taken for further examination at a colonoscopy, only 6.2 percent had cancer.
“Colonoscopy is the most accurate test, which can detect not only cancer, but also precancerous lesions”, says prof. Kęstutis Strupas.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Kęstutis Strupas
This study can be performed not only in the hospital where patients with intestinal diseases are treated, but also in larger primary care centers. The test is usually done under general anesthesia.
Can recover
K. Strupas states that after colon cancer is diagnosed, treatment tactics are discussed by doctors of various specialties: oncologist, radiologist, surgeon, and radiation therapist.
The most common solution, whenever possible, is surgery, as it removes the tumor. Then, after examining the tumor to see how angry it is, the decision is made to give the patient chemotherapy.
If surgery is not possible and the disease is locally advanced, chemotherapy or sometimes chemotherapy in combination with radiation therapy is prescribed. The goal of this treatment is to shrink the tumor and metastases so that they can be removed later during surgery.
If the disease has spread throughout the body, only chemotherapy is used to prolong the life of the patient.
According to K. Strupas, if the tumor is caught early, the patient can recover. After stage I-II cancer is diagnosed, almost all patients survive for five years. If stage II-III cancer is detected, 60%. Unfortunately, once the cancer has spread throughout the body, the patient can only prolong his life.
Every year about 1,600 new cases of colon cancer are diagnosed in Lithuania. About 1,000 people die from this cancer. That is an unacceptable amount.
After stage I-II cancer is diagnosed, almost all patients survive for five years.
“If we look at other countries where people are very active in the colon cancer screening program, we will see that the incidence and mortality from colon cancer are low. In Lithuania, unfortunately, a significant number of those who have been invited to do a secret blood test they throw it away and do not participate in the program. Later, they come to us for treatment when the cancer has spread. Certainly, new drugs, chemotherapy, biological therapy are emerging, but the possibilities to treat advanced cancer are still limited, ”says J. Kupčinskas.
2009 The Colorectal Cancer Early Detection Program, which started operations in 2006, was the last of all cancer detection programs launched in Lithuania.
“Compared to other countries, we started later, but achieved good results – in Europe we are among the leading countries in terms of the effectiveness of the program, we have achieved that around 50% of the participants participate in it. people at risk. This is a good result, although I would like it to be better, ”says K. Strupas.
The professor believes that better results will be obtained when patients are invited to undergo the test electronically: they will receive messages and there will be a digital record. Everyone will receive not only an invitation to register, but also a reminder. If you don’t come to check, you’ll get another one – a strong reminder.
“This will gently motivate the public to pay attention to the fact that prevention is much more important than disease treatment,” says prof. K. Strupas.
[ad_2]
