Blue Mars: symptoms, screening, risks… All about colorectal cancer

Operation “Blue Mars” begins this Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Like every year, the promotion of colorectal cancer (CCR) screening, which affects 43,000 new people every year in France e and kills 18,000. It is the third most common cancer and the second deadliest. the colorectal canceryet heals in nine out of ten cases if caught in time. It is therefore in order to raise awareness of the importance of screening that the Blue March month has been set up, like the “Pink October” operation for breast cancer.

In video published on November 5, 2020, the National Institute against Colorectal Cancer assures that “Screening every two years can save your life”. It is recommended for people between 50 and 74 years old. Detecting this cancer is now easier thanks to the immunological test set up in 2015, fast and effective. Carried out at home in five minutes, it makes it possible to check that you do not present any particular risk requiring appropriate monitoring. In the case of colorectal cancer, the tumour, called a polyp, appears on the inside wall of the colon and rectum.

Detect a polyp before it becomes cancer

This polyp grows slowly and can turn into cancer. This process can last ten years. During its development the polyp can bleed, bleeding which continues in the stage of cancer. the test can detect this blood invisible to the naked eye. If the test is positive, a colonoscopy will be offered. Through screening, cancer can be detected at an early stage before symptoms appear and increase the chances of recovery. In some cases it is possible to detect a polyp before it turns into cancer.

The regional center for the fight against cancer recalls that colorectal cancer arises from the transformation of a benign tumor into a malignant tumor. A “silent” transformation that can take ten years, without necessarily causing symptoms. This is why it is essential to participate in screening. In 2020, with the pandemic, the cancer diagnosis rate fell by 23% compared to the previous year, in France. This year, don’t forget to get tested.

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03/29 – 3:12 p.m. – Fruits and vegetables protect against colorectal cancer

According to one studypublished in the journal Molecules July 17, 2020, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps prevent colon cancer. In question, the metabolization of the flavonoids they contain. Plants can, in fact, produce the same metabolites as aspirin when it breaks down. “Fruits and vegetables are loaded with free HBAs, which act as antioxidants and also help plants fight infections”, says Professor Gunaje. Identifying the metabolites and intestinal bacteria responsible for the breakdown of flavonoids may help scientists to develop probiotics and, possibly, food supplements, which will participate in the prevention of colorectal cancer.

03/28 – 5:00 p.m. – Colorectal cancer is progressing among the youngest

The progression of colorectal cancer among the youngest worries the experts. According to Canadian media News, diet, inflammation and microbiome, or the combination of all three could be involved. This trend has been detected since 1995 in several industrialized countries such as Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. “For several years, we have seen that the percentage of people with colorectal cancer under the age of 40 or 45 seems to be increasing,” worries Dr. Carole Richard, head of the digestive surgery department at the Montreal University Hospital. The average age at diagnosis of colorectal cancer is 62 or 63 years old. At the CHUM, which treats more than 300 cases a year, 10.7% of cases were in individuals under the age of 50 in 2006, a percentage that had jumped to 16.9% in 2020.

03/24 – How to prevent colon cancer on a daily basis?

Dr. Anne-Christine Della Valle, general practitioner, specifies oncriptom health that the basic preventive measures to fight against colorectal cancer are:

• avoid the smoking ;
• have a physical activity regular;
• keep a stable weight with a correct BMI;
• limit alcohol consumption ;
• eat enough fruit, vegetables and whole grain cereals;

ensure a good rate of vitamin Dwith possible supplements in winter

03/21 – Colorectal cancer: aspirin reduces the risks

For twenty years, the scientific community has been studying the potential preventive effects of aspirin against cancer, in particular that of colon. According to a study published in the journal The Lanceta regular dose of aspirin could reduce the risk of hereditary colon cancer. More precisely, two aspirins a day, taken for two and a half yearswould halve the rate of colon cancer according to the scientists of the study.

To carry out this trial, experts from the universities of Newcastle and Leeds, UK, pooled data from adult participants with Lynch syndrome. Indeed, “people with a genetic predisposition to colon cancer could help us understand how aspirin can really reduce cancer risk“, said one of the authors of the study. To clarify, people with Lynch syndrome are considered “at risk” for cancer because of the genetic defect in their DNA.

03/16 – Covid-19: confinements have had an impact on the severity of the diagnosis

Scientists from Inserm, the University of Montpellier and the Montpellier Cancer Institute (ICM) studied the consequences of restrictions on access to care on the management of colorectal cancer in France during the first lockdown in spring 2020 (study published in the journal JAMAiv in September 2021). Their results show that the tumor burden, which can be defined as the extent of cancerous involvement in the body, was lower in patients who had been diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer before confinement (17.3 ng/mL) than after containment (119.2 ng/mL). Results that show the importance of taking advantage of Blue Mars Awareness Month to recall the usefulness of screening devices and remobilize all players in the support of cancer patients.

03/15 – 2:12 p.m. – Eat yogurt and fiber to reduce the risk of cancer

To have less risk of developing colorectal cancer, it is necessary to privilege the consumption of fibers, calcium and yogurts, according to a new study of JAMArelayed by why doctor. Conversely, it is necessary to reduce the intake of alcohol and red meat. “This global study found compelling evidence of an association between a lower risk of colorectal cancer and higher intakes of dietary fiber, calcium, and yogurt, and lower intakes of alcohol and red meat,” the study authors write.

03/14 – 5:22 p.m. – What is a polyp of the colon or rectum?

A polyp is a benign pedunculated tumor (connected to the body by a cord containing blood vessels), developed at the expense of the internal lining of the colon or rectum. It can measure a few millimeters to a few centimeters. Polyps can be isolated, or multiple, sometimes in clusters.

As Dr. Anne-Christine Della Valle points out forcriptom health, polyps can be classified according to:

• their histological type, knowing that the most common are adenomatous polyps. There are also hamartomatous, hyperplastic or inflammatory polyps;
• their size: large polyps are more at risk of cancerous transformation; their shape;
• their number;
• their family character or not.

03/11 – 9:58 am – Drinking alcohol is a risk factor

Alcohol consumption is a risk factor of developing colorectal cancer according to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). In France, it is responsible for 16.1% of new cases of colorectal cancer. As reported West France, alcohol could induce a modification of the DNA which would promote the development of colorectal tumours. An aggravated risk in people with folate (vitamin B9) deficiencies, making cells more likely to be impacted by the genotoxic effect of alcohol. Public Health France therefore recommends not to exceed 2 glasses per day and 10 glasses per week, refraining from consuming it on certain days.

7/03 – Colorectal cancer: your size can be a risk factor

Does height really affect cancer risk? Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have studied the relationship between the occurrence of colorectal cancer and the height of patients. This study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention allows to know more about the profiles at risk of appearance of precancerous polyps of the colon. Scientists have indeed conducted a large study to find out if people’s height has an influence on the occurrence of colorectal cancer. Results, Being tall does increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. “Greater height is an overlooked risk factor and should be considered when evaluating and referring patients for colorectal cancer screening,” says Gerard Mullin, MD, associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology. and Hepatology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “One possible reason for this link is that adult height correlates with the size of body organs. More active proliferation in the organs of larger people could increase the possibility of mutations leading to malignant transformation“, says Elinor Zhou, MD, one of the authors of the publication.

04/03 – 3:42 p.m. – How to use the screening test

The immunological test aims to detect the presence of human blood in the stool. This quick and effective test is to be done at home. The National Cancer Institute described in a 3-minute video how to perform this screening testcolorectal cancer who was not than 30.5% in France in 2018-2019. Before you begin, check the test expiration date on the envelope or on the tube. If the test is expired, request a new one. Then stick the stool collection paper on the toilet seat using the stickers. Gently press the paper to make a small indentation. Open the tube by twisting the cap. Then scrape the surface of thesaddles in several places using the green rod. The ridged part of the stem (up to the red mark on the drawing) should be covered with stool. Close the tube tightly and shake it vigorously. Throw the collection paper in the toilet. Check that you have correctly filled in, dated and stuck the label on the tube. Then slip the tube into the protective bag. The return envelope must be posted no later than 24 hours after the test has been carried out (never on Saturdays or the day before a public holiday).

1/03 – 10:37 am – Discover the virtual tour of the colon!

The League Against Cancer and the SFED invite you to a innovative and interactive experience: the exhibition “virtual tower colon” ! The League Against Cancer has developed an interactive virtual platform dedicated to the exploration of a colon and helps you understand the importance of screening in a fun and didactic way. A platform that is accessible from your phone, tablet or computer. Professor Axel Kahn, President of the National League against Cancer, now deceased, and Professor Stanislas Chaussade, of the French Society of Digestive Endoscopy, will guide you to a 3D tour inside a colon.