Colon Cancer and Diet

This week I underwent a colonoscopy. Not the most pleasant afternoon I have ever spent, but the results may extend my life by several years. The purpose of a colonoscopy is to check for colon cancer.

This procedure involves a doctor threading a tube with a camera up your rectum to examine the large intestine (the large intestine is comprised of a short section called the rectum and a much longer section called the colon). The doctor is looking for unusual growths on the intestine wall called polyps. If polyps are found, they are removed, if possible, and biopsied to check for cancer (colon cancer). If the polyps are found to be cancerous, surgery is required to remove the part of the intestine where the cancerous polyp occurred and to remove any remaining polyps.

Up to 30 percent of adults, middle-aged and older have colon polyps. Thankfully, the survival rates from colon cancer, if found soon enough, is very high. There can be a genetic component to getting colon cancer. Check with your older siblings and parents to see if they have developed polyps. If they have, you need to get checked as well, especially after the age of 40.

Your diet can help you prevent the formation of polyps and colon cancer. Eating a high-fiber diet - one plentiful in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is recommended. Fiber helps to move your stool more quickly through the bowel. This limits the time that cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) in your food are in contact with your intestines. Also the anti-oxidants in the fruits and vegetables help protect your cells from damage by free radicals (unstable molecules) that can lead to cancer.

Daily exercise is also a good preventative measure as exercise speeds up the movement of the stool through the bowel as well.

Again this commonsense approach of a good, natural diet coupled with daily physical movement is a key component to the prevention of many diseases including colon cancer.

For more information about colon cancer, its symptoms and risk factors and the procedures for treating colon cancer visit Mayo Clinic - Colon Cancer.

On a related subject, if you are a constant sufferer of constipation and bloating, you may want to check out: Colon Cleansing.