Colon cancer: risk factors and screening

Colon and rectal cancers are usually combined under the same term "colorectal cancer". It should be noted that the lesion of the colon is much more common. Colorectal cancer ranks fourth in the overall structure of oncological pathology in terms of prevalence, and in some countries even comes third after lung and stomach cancer. Risk factors that contribute to the development of colorectal cancer include bowel polyps, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and a genetic predisposition. Most often, neoplastic transformation occurs at the site of an adenoma or dysplastic lesion of the intestinal mucosa. Due to the high risk of neoplastic process in a sufficiently large number of elderly people, it is recommended that every person over the age of 50 should undergo compulsory screening to detect latent cancer. The simplest, but at the same time insufficiently informative method is a blood culture test - analysis for the presence of blood in the feces. Method of total colonoscopy and double-contrast radiography is distinguished by a higher information content, but at the same time a higher cost. It is recommended to have these examinations every three to five years after the age of 50 years without clinical manifestations, and after the age of 40 for those at risk for colorectal cancer.