How can people at high risk of colon cancer prevent it? Sound the alarm: Early screening for colon cancer protects family health

Author: Suo Baojun, deputy chief physician, Peking University Third Hospital

Song ZhiqiangChief Physician, Peking University Third Hospital

Liu Mengqi, Resident Physician, Peking University Third Hospital

Reviewer: Zhou Liya, Chief Physician, Peking University Third Hospital

This is a true story that happened in Dr. Suo’s clinic. It is the story of five sisters and colon cancer. It tells us the importance of early detection, early treatment and early prevention.

[My sister's lesson]: Blood in the stool is not necessarily hemorrhoids

My 50-year-old sister always thought she just had hemorrhoids. Three months ago, she found blood in her stool when she went to the toilet, but she didn't pay much attention to it and bought hemorrhoid cream to deal with it herself. Until one day, she suddenly fainted in the bathroom and was rushed to the hospital. The examination results shocked the whole family: colon cancer, mid-stage.

"It's all my fault. If I had brought her to the hospital earlier, it would have been better." The elder sister regretted it. As a nurse, she should have noticed something was wrong with the younger sister earlier. Later, the younger sister underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and it took a year to recover. Her experience made the whole family realize that blood in the stool is not necessarily hemorrhoids, but may be a more serious disease.

[The Third Sister’s Luck]: Early detection, early cure

One weekend a year later, the five sisters made an appointment to go shopping. Before leaving, the youngest sister heard the third sister mumbling in the bathroom: "The hemorrhoids are acting up again." The youngest sister felt nervous and pushed the door open. She found blood and pus on the tissue used by the third sister - this was very similar to her original symptoms!

At the insistence of the eldest and youngest sisters, the third sister went to the hospital for a colonoscopy. As a result, a large polyp was found in the colon. The doctor arranged for her to be hospitalized and perform endoscopic resection. The pathological results showed: "early colon cancer". Because it was completely removed under the endoscope, it was equivalent to a cure.

The third sister was terrified: “If my younger sister hadn’t discovered it in time, the consequences would have been disastrous.” From then on, she became the family’s health promoter, sharing her experience everywhere and reminding everyone that early detection and early treatment of colon cancer can really save lives.

【Family screening】: Check even if you don’t have symptoms

The experience of the third sister made the whole family realize that colon cancer may be hereditary. The eldest sister called on the whole family to go for a colonoscopy. The second sister paused while picking up food and said, "I don't need it, right? I never feel sick in my stomach and my bowel movements are normal." The eldest sister was anxious: "Do you have to wait until you have symptoms, like the third and fifth sisters did before going for a check-up? They didn't have any symptoms at the beginning!"

The three sisters underwent colonoscopy one after another, and the results were shocking:

70-year-old sister: Multiple polyps with a diameter of 0.5-1.0 cm were found in the colon. The pathology showed that they were all "Tubular Adenoma Grade I" and they underwent endoscopic resection.

My 67-year-old second sister: A large polyp with a diameter of 2.0 cm was found in her colon, with erosion on the surface. She underwent endoscopic resection, and the pathology was "Tubular adenoma grade II-III." The doctor warned: "If it is delayed for another year, it is likely to turn into cancer."

Figure 1 Figure 2 Original copyright pictures, no permission to reprint

60-year-old fourth sister: My intestines are healthy, nothing abnormal.

The five sisters could finally sit together and eat in peace. The table was filled with vegetable salad and whole wheat bread specially prepared by the fourth sister, and the meat dishes only took up a small corner.

"It's strange," the younger sister said, picking up a piece of green vegetables with chopsticks. "It seems that our family really has this genetic tendency, but why is Fourth Sister fine?"

The eldest sister put down her chopsticks and looked at the fourth sister thoughtfully: "Fourth sister, how do you usually eat?"

"As for me," the fourth sister wiped her mouth, "I have loved eating vegetables since I was a child and I don't eat much meat. I do half an hour of yoga every morning and take a walk after dinner. You see, my weight has not changed much over the years."

The second sister suddenly realized: "No wonder! I remember when you were young, you always said that you should eat more vegetables and less rice, and we laughed at you for being pretentious."

The fourth sister nodded: "It seems that this disease is not only related to genetics, but also to eating habits and lifestyle."

【Dr. Suo’s Popular Science】: Three key points to prevent colon cancer

In order to find out about the family's health problems, the five sisters went to consult Dr. Suo of the Department of Gastroenterology. After listening to their story, Dr. Suo exclaimed: "Your story is a textbook case for the prevention and treatment of colon cancer!"

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Dr. Suo summarized the three main points for preventing colon cancer:

1. Eat a healthy diet

- Eat more fruits and vegetables and less red meat and processed meat.

- Try to drink less alcohol. If you really have to drink, don’t drink more than twice a week, and no more than one glass of red wine each time.

2. Healthy lifestyle

- Choose the appropriate exercise method according to your physical condition. Do it step by step and persevere.

- Obesity is a clear risk factor. You must maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity.

3. Regular screening

- Colon cancer has a family history tendency. People with a family history are recommended to undergo regular colonoscopy after the age of 40.

- Develop a habit of paying attention to your bowel movements. If you notice any abnormalities, such as increased or decreased bowel movements, blood in the stool, or pus in the stool, please seek medical attention immediately!

- People over 45 years old who have no family history and no symptoms should also undergo regular colonoscopy.

Figure 4 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

Dr. Suo emphasized: "Almost all colon cancers develop from colon polyps. At the polyp stage, endoscopic resection can completely cure it. But if it develops into cancer, treatment will be much more difficult and painful."

Figure 5 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

【The Change of Five Sisters】: From Story to Action

The stories of five sisters who completely changed their lifestyle:

- My eldest sister signed up for nutritionist training and started researching healthy recipes.

- The second sister turned down all unnecessary social engagements and took walks with her sisters every night.

- The third sister became a health advocate in the community, sharing her experiences everywhere.

- The fourth sister continues to stick to her yoga and vegetarian habits and has become a healthy role model in the family.

- The younger sister uses her own story to remind people around her: blood in the stool is not necessarily hemorrhoids, it may be a more serious disease.

They agreed to have a colonoscopy every three years, supervise each other, and not be lazy.

Conclusion: Prevention is always better than cure

🌿 Colon cancer prevention blackboard🌿

1. Prevention is key

Colon cancer is preventable! You can reduce your risk by living a healthy lifestyle and getting regular screenings.

2. Early detection, early treatment

If colon cancer is discovered early, it can be removed under colonoscopy, completely cured, and avoid subsequent complex treatments.

3. Late detection, high risk

If the disease is discovered late, surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be required, which is not only painful but also has certain risks.

4. Regular screening

Regular colonoscopy, especially for people with a family history and those over 45 years old, is the best way to prevent and detect colon cancer early.

5. Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a green and healthy lifestyle, such as a balanced diet, moderate exercise, smoking cessation and alcohol restriction, can help reduce the risk of disease.

💡 Remember: prevention is better than cure, health starts today! 💡

I hope the story of the five sisters can make more people realize that prevention is always more important than cure. Let us pay attention to intestinal health, stay away from diseases, and live a healthy life!