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- Colorectal cancer was the most common type of cancer diagnosed in 2020 in Romania, with 13,000 new cases (as opposed to 11,000 in 2018), according to Globocan.
- Colorectal cancer is 75% of the lifestyle is caused and only 25% of cases are caused by genetic inheritance.
98,886 Romanians were diagnosed with cancer in 2020, according to Globocan. Of these, 13,000 are new cases of colorectal cancer, which ranked this type of cancer in first place in the ranking, after lung and prostate cancer.
Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women. In 2018 statistics shows that 1.8 million new cases have been diagnosed worldwide, most of them in Hungary.
In 2020, the figures increased by about 20%, and Romania keeps the trend. The novelty is that, with almost 13,000 people diagnosed with this disease, colorectal cancer exceeds that of lung cancer, which had 12,122 cases in 2020.
Studies show that about 90% of colorectal cancers occur in people over the age of 50.
”Grade I relatives of people with polyps or colorectal cancer have a 2-3 times higher risk of developing this disease“, Says doctor Elena Ciuperca from DigestMed Clinic.
”Colorectal cancer occurs through the accumulation of genetic abnormalities. We either inherit them from the family or they appear during life under the influence of environmental factors. The most dangerous factors are smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, increased consumption of fat, red meat and processed meat. In terms of genetic inheritance, first-degree relatives of people with polyps or colorectal cancer are 2-3 times more likely to develop the disease.”, Dr. Elena Ciuperca, primary gastroenterologist and founder of the gastroenterology clinic DigestMed.
Although it has become the most common type of cancer in Romania, it is not the one that causes the most deaths. Of the nearly 55,000 Romanians who died of cancer last year, more than 10,000 were caused by lung cancer. With nearly 6,800 deaths, colorectal cancer ranks second in mortality.
Although Globocan data are worrying regarding this type of cancer, it is a condition with a high success rate of treatment when it is discovered in the early stages. Thus, 5-year survival exceeds 90% in early-diagnosed colorectal cancer, but only 40% of tumors are found at a localized stage and approximately 56% of colorectal cancer patients die from the tumor.
In stage IV, survival is only 14-16% at 5 years. Early diagnosis is therefore important because the prognosis is much better in the case of an early stage; screening investigations can also diagnose precancerous lesions or polyps that have minimal changes and then in most cases endoscopic resection is sufficient and saves the patient without complicated treatments.
”In general, colon monitoring begins after the age of 50, even if we have no symptoms. In people with a family history of such cancer, screening is indicated to begin 10 years earlier than the youngest cancer in the family. In families with Lynch syndrome, monitoring begins at age 20-25, and in familial adenomatous polyposis, screening is indicated to begin at the age of 10-12 years.“, Explains the doctor Elena Ciuperca.
In addition to regular tests, it is good for people to be alert to a number of symptoms that may signal a serious illness.
Gastroenterologist Monica Stana tells us what these symptoms are: “Sudden changes in transit, changes in the shape of the stool, bloody stools, persistent abdominal pain for which medical investigations have been made and other causes have been ruled out are signs that should send us for a medical check-up. Also, a sudden weight loss or results of blood tests that indicate anemia are other warning signs for this condition.”
DigestMed Clinic launches the campaign “Enjoy life and after 50 years with 50% discount on colorectal cancer screening tests”
DigestMed is a gastroenterology clinic launched in 2016 that can perform complex digestive evaluations and specialized screenings. He recently launched the campaign Enjoy life after 50 years with a 50% discount on colorectal cancer screening tests, which aims to contribute to reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer in Romania. In support of their approach, the DigestMed clinic offers a 50% discount for the quantitative occult hemorrhage test used for colorectal cancer screening, as well as for the specialist consultation for interpreting the test result. People over the age of 50 can benefit from this discount for 50 days starting this week. As part of the same effort to educate the general public about colorectal cancer prevention, DigestMed also launched the free webinar Colorectal cancer: 75% lifestyle, 25% genetic inheritance, available to the general public on the clinic’s Facebook page. The two doctors talk about the causes of colorectal cancer, about prevention methods, about diagnosis, but also about treatment.
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