Colorectal cancer – one of the most common malignant tumours.
In Hungary, around 8-10 thousand people a year die of cancer of the colon. It has no specific symptoms; typical signs may include a change in bowel habits (alternating diarrhoea and constipation), blood in the stool, abdominal pain, bloating, increased gas, weight loss and anaemia.
Most colon-cancers develop from small polyps, over 10-15 years on average. This is why screening is so important: it allows precancerous conditions to be recognised early and treated simply. Everyone over the age of 50 is advised to have a colonoscopycarried out. If the examination is completely negative, the person can rest assured for 10 years that they will not develop colorectal cancer.
Risk factors include obesity, a diet of fatty, low-fibre foods, a sedentary lifestyle, inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes.
