Can I take something to prevent colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. There is compelling evidence that screening to detect CRC early to find and remove precancerous polyps can reduce CRC mortality. However, screening has associated harms, including procedural complications, and inherent limitations. For example, colonoscopy, the most common screening tool in the US, is less effective in preventing cancers of the right, or ascending side, of the colon compared with cancers of the left, or descending, side of the colon. Moreover, only 60% of US adults recommended for screening actually follow through. Even under the best circumstances, screening is resource-intensive, requiring time, equipment, and a trained doctor to perform the procedure, and cannot be widely implemented in many parts of the world. Thus, alternatives to screening to effectively prevent CRC are a high unmet need. What are alternatives to screening for prevention of colorectal cancer? Adherence to healthy lifestyle habits, including maintaining a healthy body weight, keeping physically active, and abstaining from tobacco, can reduce risk of CRC in all individuals. These habits also help prevent other chronic health conditions. In addition to lifestyle, chemoprevention — the use of agents to inhibit, delay, or intercept and reverse cancer formation — also holds significant promise. The ideal chemopreventive agent, or combination of agents, requires the benefits to outweigh the risks, esp...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Cancer Prevention Screening Source Type: blogs