The Head of Surgery at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebutte-Metta, Dr. Biodun Adeyanju, has expressed concern about the rising cases of colon cancer in young people.
He said that while cancer often occurs in older persons, there are increasingly reported cases of colon cancer among young people.
According to Mayo Clinic, colon cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the large intestine (colon). The colon is the final part of the digestive tract.
The clinic further explained that while the health condition typically affects older adults, it can happen at any age, adding that it usually begins as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called polyps that form on the inside of the colon. Over time some of these polyps can become colon cancers.
Speaking with our correspondent, Dr. Adeyanju said, “Cancers generally occur with increasing age. It’s commoner in the older age group.
“However, there’s an increasing incidence in the younger age group. Why it is becoming more common in the younger age group is a subject of debate and scientific studies. It is generally not known. However, some have ascribed it to genetics, heredity, dietary and environmental factors.
“It’s been observed to be commoner in men. However, colon cancers in some sites in the colon are commoner in women”.
He stressed that getting screened early for the condition is crucial to preventing complications.
“Screening is important in the prevention of colon cancer and indeed all cancers. Colonoscopy is an important screening investigation, especially at above the age of 40 years, and more so in patients with a family history of colon cancer and indeed other cancers.
“Also, some complaints we trivialise should be taken more seriously. These complaints include vague abdominal pain and passage of blood in the stool. These must be investigated by qualified medical personnel. It can also be hereditary.
