Josep Roure i Muntada C olon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths both in men and women and incidence and death statistics have varied very little over the last decade. B earing in mind that this is an easily detectable tumour, which is both highly treatable and is slow-growing, the first thought when considering these statistics is that we live unaware of colon cancer and that we are losing the early diagnosis battle. In addition to age, known risk factors include a family history of colorectal cancer or colonic polyposis, previous ulcerative colitis or Crohn's Disease and a personal history of colon polyps. In general it has its beginnings in a small polyps which developes in the mucus of the colon and is usually benign.
Several years pass before it becomes malignant.
Unfortunately, these small polyps rarely produce symptoms and this is why examination of the colon before symptoms occur is so important. F ecal occult blood test. This test, which detects blood in the stools, should be carried out once a year after the age of 50. At this moment, the human hemoglobin is determined and therefore neither previous dietary restrictions nor abstention from ingesting certain medicines is necessary. This technique can detect half of the polyps and tumours in the colon, which are those found in the last 60cm of the intestine.