lifestyle

Beware Of Colorectal Cancer At A Young Age, Experts Say Unhealthy Lifestyle As A Trigger

Colorectal cancer is no longer just attacking the elderly. The latest trend shows a significant increase in cases of this cancer in the productive age group, namely 20 to 40 years. Experts suspect that an unhealthy lifestyle is one of the main triggers. This shift in the age of sufferers has raised concerns among the medical community because most cases at a young age are only detected when they have entered an advanced stage. In fact, if found early, the chance of colorectal cancer being cured is quite high. "Colorectal cancer is now increasingly being found at a young age. Modern lifestyles with poor diet and lack of physical activity play a big role in this trend," said Rebecca Siegel, Senior Scientific Director of Surveillance Research at the American Cancer Society, quoted from Time Magazine. 

Unhealthy lifestyle triggers colorectal cancer 

Several factors that are believed to contribute to the increase in cases of colorectal cancer at a young age are consumption of processed and high-fat foods, lack of fiber intake, the habit of sitting too long, and lack of physical activity. In a report quoted from Healthline, Dr. Christine Parseghian from MD Anderson Cancer Center said that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by up to 30 percent. 

Meanwhile, smoking, alcohol consumption, and being overweight are also risk factors that need to be watched out for. "Lifestyle patterns that have been considered normal—such as eating fast food, sitting for long periods, or not getting enough sleep—slowly increase the risk of serious diseases such as colorectal cancer," she said. 

Many symptoms are ignored, diagnosis is often late Colorectal cancer often develops without typical symptoms in the early stages. Some early signs to watch out for include abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, bleeding from the rectum, and unexplained weight loss. "Painless bleeding can appear more than a year before the diagnosis is made. Unfortunately, many young patients delay examination until the condition worsens," explained Parseghian. The increasing trend of colorectal cancer cases in productive ages is an important warning that this disease is no longer limited to the elderly. A healthy lifestyle such as maintaining a diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol are effective preventive measures. Early detection through screening such as colonoscopy is also highly recommended, especially for those with a family history or experiencing suspicious symptoms. The sooner cancer is found, the greater the chance of a full recovery. 

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Tag: Colorectal Cancer Unhealthy Lifestyle