High-risk factors for colorectal cancer and population screening guidelines

Cancer is an unavoidable topic in the course of human life. Among them, colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 million people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, and about 50% of these cases occur in developing countries. Therefore, understanding the high-risk factors for colorectal cancer and how to conduct effective population screening are of great significance to improving people's quality of life and maintaining public health safety.

First of all, we need to understand the high-risk factors for colorectal cancer. These factors mainly include genetic factors, eating habits, lifestyle, etc. Genetic factors are an important risk factor for colorectal cancer. If a direct relative in the family has colorectal cancer, the individual's risk of the disease will increase significantly. In addition, eating habits are also an important factor affecting the occurrence of colorectal cancer. Excessive intake of red meat and fat, and insufficient intake of vegetables and fruits may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. In terms of lifestyle, long-term sedentary behavior, lack of exercise, and bad habits such as smoking and drinking will also increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

After understanding the high-risk factors for colorectal cancer, we can conduct targeted population screening. At present, the main screening methods for colorectal cancer include fecal occult blood test, colonoscopy and barium enema X-ray examination. Among them, the fecal occult blood test is a simple, non-invasive, low-cost screening method suitable for large-scale population screening. Colonoscopy is currently the most accurate method for diagnosing colorectal cancer. It can directly observe the situation inside the intestine and detect early tumors or polyps. Barium enema X-ray examination can show the morphology and structure of the intestine, which is helpful for detecting colon lesions.

When conducting population screening, we need to develop screening strategies based on different high-risk factors. For people with a genetic history, it is recommended to have a colonoscopy every 1-2 years starting at the age of 40. For people without a genetic history but with other high-risk factors, such as long-term high-fat diet, long-term sitting, etc., it is recommended to have a fecal occult blood test or colonoscopy every 1-2 years starting at the age of 50. For the general population, it is recommended to have a fecal occult blood test or colonoscopy every 10 years starting at the age of 50.

In general, colorectal cancer is a serious health threat. We need to understand its high-risk factors and take effective screening measures. At the same time, we also need to change our unhealthy lifestyles, such as reducing the intake of red meat and fat, increasing the intake of vegetables and fruits, maintaining moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, etc., to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Only in this way can we effectively prevent and control the occurrence of colorectal cancer, improve people's quality of life, and maintain public health safety.

The screening and prevention of colorectal cancer is a systematic project that requires the joint participation of the government, medical institutions, communities and individuals. The government needs to formulate scientific screening policies and provide necessary resources and support; medical institutions need to provide high-quality screening services to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of screening; the community needs to carry out health education to improve people's health awareness and self-care ability; individuals need to actively participate in screening, keep abreast of their health status, and actively change their unhealthy lifestyles.

In this process, each of us is a participant and a beneficiary. Only by working together can we effectively prevent and control the occurrence of colorectal cancer and make our lives healthier and better.

Wei Changhong