Friday, March 3, 2023
About 33 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every day. Therefore, this type of cancer is one of the most common. March has been declared Colon Cancer Awareness Month. The Stomach Liver Intestine Foundation (MLDS) will pay more attention to this disease this month.
Population Screening for Bowel Cancer
If you detect colon cancer early, the doctor has several options for treating this disease. There is also a greater chance of a better quality of life after treatment. Partly on the initiative of the MLDS, the population screening was introduced. It detects thousands of cases and prevents one in three deaths from the disease. According to the MLDS, it can be even more successful. They therefore advocate lowering the age limit from 55 to 50 years: “Unfortunately, there also seems to be an increase in the number of colorectal cancer patients under 50 years. This is in the age group between 45-49 years. Under 45 years these numbers are not increasing in the Netherlands,” says Inge Konings of the Stomach Liver Gut Foundation.
Be alert and look back
The foundation has listed seven signs of colon cancer on their site. Inge Konings, from MLDS, says the following about it: “The number of colorectal cancer patients has been increasing over the past 30 years. Before the population screening (BVO) was introduced in 2013, the number was 36 people per day. During the first years of the Thanks to the BVO, many people were detected early, as a result of which 44 people per day were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2015. Because polyps are also detected thanks to the BVO that can be a precursor to bowel cancer, many cases of bowel cancer are also prevented Thanks to the BVO, the number of bowel cancer incidents is falling, which is why it is important that you participate in the BVO,” says Konings.
Seven signals
Every Almelo resident, regardless of age, can also be alert in addition to the population screening. For example, you can look back after a visit to the toilet. Sometimes you can also get physical signals that not everyone is familiar with. Here are the signals at a glance:
1. Suffer from idle urges
2. Stool pattern keeps changing recently
3. Losing your appetite for no apparent reason
4. Seeing blood or mucus in stool
5. Have recently been experiencing abdominal pain
6. Weight loss for no explanation
7. much fatigued by anemia
These signals can be read back and you can do a test about them on the MLDS site:
www.mlds.nl/7-signalen-darmkanker-test/. You are also advised to go to the doctor immediately if you see blood in your stool.
Alcohol Prevention Alliance
Together with the KWF (Queen Wilhelmina Fund), the MLDS leads the alliance Alcohol Prevention for the Healthy Generation. This alliance aims to achieve a Healthy Generation in 2040. There is hard evidence that alcohol increases the risk of colon cancer. Research shows that the risk of this cancer is increased by 7% by alcohol. That chance increases per glass. For that reason, the MLDS is committed to a Healthy Generation in which it is normal not to drink alcohol. When asked whether the alliance also provides information, Konings replies as follows: “Starting the conversation is very important here and is already being done in various places by the Healthy Generation and SGF (Cooperating Health Funds). At the moment mainly at municipalities and also at schools. Kings said.
The goal of MLDS is healthy digestion for everyone. They also advocate for more awareness, early detection and a better quality of life. Doctors, researchers, volunteers, collectors and donors work towards that goal every day. They also fund opportunities for early detection of colon cancer and if someone does get the disease, they want the person with the disease to receive the right treatment quickly. If you would like more information about digestion and its diseases, please visit www.mlds.nl
By Sibren Veenvliet
Source consulted: www.mlds.nl on 2-03-2023
