The incidence of colon cancer is closely related to lifestyle The causes of colon cancer are complex, but the incidence of colon cancer is also closely related to lifestyle, such as high protein, high fat and low fiber diet, as well as obesity and lack of physical exercise can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. With the development of economy, people’s life style and diet structure change, the incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing. China has entered the ranks of regions with high incidence of colorectal cancer, and this disease is increasingly threatening people’s physical and mental health. Westernized diet and colorectal cancer Epidemiological surveys show that colorectal cancer is characterized by the development of “rich and poor”, and those who consume more saturated fat, total fat, total protein, cholesterol and oleic acid have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, among which those who consume more saturated fatty acids have the greatest risk. In just the past few years, Chinese dietary habits have undergone a rapid transformation, with the China Health and Nutrition Survey completed between 1989 and 1993 showing that the proportion of adults consuming high-fat diets has increased from 22.8% to 66.6%, and that Chinese dietary habits are rapidly shifting to the typical dietary patterns of Western industrialized countries. American fast food like McDonald’s is everywhere, and high-fat, high-sugar and high-energy foods are quietly becoming popular in terms of dietary preferences. The Role of Public Education In contrast to China’s gradually westernized diet and the rising incidence of colorectal cancer, the incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer in the United States have been declining year by year. The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the percentage of people aged 50-75 years who were screened for colon cancer was 52.3% in 2002 and increased to 65.4% in 2010. 35 states had significant decreases in incidence and 49 states had significant decreases in mortality. From 2003-2007, there were 66,000 fewer new cases of colon cancer and 32,000 fewer deaths from colon cancer. Among the reasons for the reduction in mortality rates are 1) improved screening rates: contributing approximately 50 percentage points, 2) reduced risk factors: contributing 35 percentage points, such as smoking and obesity, and 3) improved treatments: contributing 12 percentage points. The decrease in incidence and mortality is largely attributed to proper screening and publicity education, which also validates the saying that no matter how good surgical skills are compared to early detection of tumors, no matter how good early diagnosis techniques are compared to scientific health awareness. Among malignant tumors in all parts of the body, especially gastrointestinal tumors, colorectal cancer is one of the tumors with the best treatment effect. Through standardized multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment, the efficacy can be further improved and a significant proportion of colorectal cancer patients can be completely cured. Regardless of the level of treatment development, the importance of early detection cannot be ignored, and according to the data of 2014, the 5-year survival rate of stage I patients can reach over 90%, while the survival rate of stage IV patients is only slightly more than 10%.
Therefore, early detection and early diagnosis should be emphasized. Early detection of colorectal cancer relies on reasonable screening rather than waiting for symptoms to appear before screening. From a health economics perspective, the population can be divided into three categories, and different groups receive different screening programs. General population: refers to people who are not at high risk of colorectal cancer, and we recommend that these people can start to receive colorectal cancer screening at the age of 50, and generally have a screening once every 5-10 years. High-risk group: People with high risk of colorectal cancer such as high-fat and low-fiber diet and family history of gastrointestinal tumor can start to receive colorectal cancer screening at the age of 40-45 years old, on average once every 3-5 years. People with family genetic predisposition: For people with family genetic predisposition (familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome, etc.), we suggest going to a large oncology center as early as possible to determine whether the group has genetic predisposition through careful collection of family history and some necessary examinations, including genetic testing, by experienced clinicians. If there is a genetic predisposition, the patient will be followed closely by the clinician according to a specific follow-up protocol for hereditary tumors. If there is no obvious genetic predisposition, the population will be followed up according to the screening program for high-risk groups. Colorectal cancer is a disease that can be fatal when it progresses to an advanced stage. Fortunately, it can be effectively prevented through reasonable measures. What we need to do is to change our high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber diet, as well as exercise and weight control. In terms of health awareness, we can learn more about related knowledge, detect pre-cancerous lesions such as colorectal adenomas through active physical examination and endoscopy, and interrupt the cancer process through intervention (endoscopic removal). There is no absolutely perfect screening program that can guarantee early detection for everyone, but overall it is possible to increase the percentage of early detection by a large margin. The best surgical skills are no match for the early detection of tumors, and the best early diagnosis techniques are no match for scientific health awareness.