Understanding the Risks of Colorectal Cancer

>> SO AS PART OF OUR LOOK INTO COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, WE ARE JOINED BY DR ALEXEI NOVIKOV, A CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA'S DIVISION OF GASTROENTEROLOGY DR. NOVAKHOV. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. GOOD MORNING. >> SO NOW THE NATIONAL CANCER SOCIETY REPORTS THAT OVER 50,000 AMERICANS DIED FROM COLORECTAL CANCER LAST YEAR. SO WHY IS THIS SUCH A SERIOUS DIAGNOSIS? >> CARTHEL CANCER IS THE SECOND MOST COMMON CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NATIONAL HEADLINES BECAUSE RECENTLY WE FOUND OUT THAT A COLORFUL CANCER WHILE MORE FREQUENT IN OLDER POPULATION HAS BEEN INCREASING DISPROPORTIONATELY IN INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN SIDE OF THE AGE OF 50. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE UNLIKE MANY OTHER CANCERS, CLINICAL CANCER HAS A CLEARLY CAN BE PREVENTED BY DOING SCREENING FOR COLORECTAL CANCER. AND SO I THINK RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET SCREENED IS EXTRAORDINARY. IMPORTANT FOREVER WITH ESPECIALLY FOR DOCTORS WHO TREAT AND DEAL WITH THIS CONDITION EVERY SINGLE DAY LIKE ME. >> AND THEN YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'RE SEEING IT MORE AND MORE IN YOUNGER PEOPLE. IS THAT SOMETHING NOW WITH BECAUSE OF BETTER SCREENING WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING CANCER, OR IS THIS JUST KIND OF SOMETHING WE'RE SEEING MAYBE WITH DIETS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE LEADING TO THAT SYMPTOMS OF COLORECTAL CANCER BEGINNING IN AN EARLIER AGE. >> THAT IS A REALLY INSIGHTFUL INSIGHTFUL POINT TO MAKE. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE'RE JUST TAKING DOING A BETTER JOB, LOOKING FOR IT. BUT MOST LIKELY IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT. AND I THINK THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE FACT THAT THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP COLORECTAL CANCER FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. IT'S GOOD. THERE'S MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THEORIES AT THIS POINT OUT THERE. SOME PEOPLE BLAME MICROPLASTIC. SOME PEOPLE BLAME CHANGES IN THE MICROBIOME. THERE'S DEFINITELY OBESITY THAT MAY WELL BE PLAYING A ROLE. AND SO TO FLOOD PROMOTING SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION. AND AT THAT CERTAINLY AND HELPING. IN THE PROMINENTLY IN THE INDIAN. COULD JENNY PROCESS. BUT I THINK YOU'LL IS FAIR TO SAY THAT THERE'S MULTIPLE DIFFERENT OF REASONS WHY YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET CLINICAL CANCER AT THIS POINT IN 2026. >> AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING TO THAT NOW, TREATMENT OPTIONS HAVE ADVANCED AS WELL. SO I GUESS THERE'S BETTER PROGNOSIS FOR PEOPLE THAT END UP. DO. BECOMING HAVING COLORECTAL CANCER. >> YES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF LIKE TALK ABOUT COUPLE OF THINGS HERE. NUMBER, WHAT CALLER, ACTOR CANCER IS PREVENTABLE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO GET SCREENED FOR COLORECTAL CANCER AND COLONOSCOPIES. ONE OF THEM COLONOSCOPY PROBABLY IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS BECAUSE COLONOSCOPY ALLOWS YOU TO BOTH LOOK FOR PRECANCEROUS CONDITIONS, POLYPS AND REMOVE THEM WITH THE SAME TIME. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE RESISTANT COLONOSCOPY AND THERE IS A VARIETY OF OTHER TESTS, INCLUDING A VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CALL, NOT GRAFFITI, SAYS HE'S KEEN BASED TEST. THERE IS A A NUMBER OF SCHOOL-BASED TESTS AND ALL OF THESE TESTS EXIST AND CAN BE DONE. AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE BEST PREVENTION THE IS IS THAT IF YOU NEED TO GET SCREENED, IF YOU CAN, AND THE BEST SCREENING TEST THAT YOU CAN GET IS THE ONE THAT YOU WILL WILL BE WILLING TO DO. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER 2. COLORADO CANCER EASE TREATABLE. AND EARLIER WE DETECT CLINICAL CANCER. BETTER TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE AND BETTER. THE OUTCOMES OF THOSE TREATMENTS ARE AS THE DESK OF BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL DESK. THIS THAT CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR ABILITY TO MOVE LARGE PRECANCEROUS POLYPS HAS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY THE PAST 20 YEARS. AT THIS POINT, WE CAN END THIS COP A CLEAR MOVE EARLY CANCERS AS WELL. AND I THINK IN THAT SENSE, IF YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT MANY MAY BE SOME OPTIONS, I THINK INTERVENTIONAL THAT WHAT WE CAN OFFER AS INTERNATIONAL DESK OF THIS HAS REALLY GOTTEN WAY BETTER EVEN COMPARED TO ABOUT 5, MAYBE 10 YEARS AGO. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE'RE REPLACING WHO LEFT THE SURGEONS WHO WORK WITH CLERICAL SURGEON'S VERY CLOSELY BECAUSE FOR A VAST MAJORITY OF INVASIVE ADENOCARCINOMA US COLORFUL CANCERS OUT THERE. SURGERY WOULD BE THE RIGHT WAY. BUT THESE THINGS ARE ADDRESSED. AND WE TALK ABOUT THESE CASES TOGETHER AS A TEAM WITH A COLLEGE DEGREE AND RADIOLOGISTS EVERY SINGLE WEEK, ANY DURING OUR WILL TO DISPLAY TO REPORTS. SO I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT. THEY NEED TO GET SCREENED AND B, EVEN IF WE FIND SOMETHING, IT IS BETTER TO FIND SOMETHING SOONER THAN LATER. >> AND THEN YOU MENTIONED COLONOSCOPIES AND ORIGINALLY RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ALWAYS FOR PEOPLE AROUND THE AGE OF 40 TO START CONSIDERING THEM. BUT NOW IF PEOPLE HAVE MORE OF A FAMILY HISTORY OR PREDISPOSITION TO THIS, SHOULD THEY GET THEM EARLIER? AND THEN HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO SAY DOING AN AT-HOME TESTS LIKE A COLIN GUARD WHERE INSTEAD OF HAVING A MORE INVASIVE PROCEDURE DONE. >> RIGHT. >> SO THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION USED TO BE THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND STARTING COLONOSCOPY, TWEEN COLUMBUS, THE AGE OF 50 RECENTLY ABOUT 5, 4, YEARS AGO. THE GUIDELINES HAVE CHANGED AND THAT WE AND WE RECOMMEND STARTING COLONOSCOPY. IT'S BEING CALLED US COULD BE AT THE AGE OF 45 FOR MOST PEOPLE. NO. THE THE THIS OF THAT IS CERTAINLY A RECOMMENDATION APPLIES TO I'M HEALTHY AMERICANS, BUT THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WEISE, PRE-EXISTING PREDISPOSING, MEDICAL CONDITIONS SUCH HAVING A FUN THING ABOUT DISEASE OR HAVING MULTIPLE FAMILY MEMBERS WITH CLARK OF CANCER. WE'RE AT THAT RULED DOESN'T QUITE APPLY. AND YOU HAVE TO START SPITTING EVEN EARLIER DEPENDING ON WHICHEVER CONDITION YOU HAVE. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT CURRENT RECOMMENDATION IS TO START COLONOSCOPIES AT THE AGE OF 45. IN REGARD TO WHICH DOES IS THE BETTER TEST. THEY SORT OF SAID THAT EARLIER. THE BEST TEST IS THE ONE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO UNDERGO COLONOSCOPIES THE BEST. THAT'S BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU TO FIND AND REMOVE PUBLIC'S RIGHT AWAY BUT SAY FOR FOLKS WHO CANNOT UNDERGO COOLEST BE FOR MEDICAL REASONS OR WHO ARE RESISTANT. A COLONOSCOPY? I LAGARDE OR OFF HE COULD MEAN A CHEMISTRY TEST IF IT IS ALSO A GOOD ALTERNATIVE. AND THAT TEST ALLOWS YOU TO KINDA LOOK AND SEE. AND THE ONLY THING THAT TELLS YOU IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD UNDERGO COLONOSCOPY. SO A POSITIVE COLDER TEST DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU NECESSARILY HAVE SOMETHING PRECANCEROUS OR CANCEROUS IN YOUR INTESTINES. IT JUST MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD UNDERGO COLONOSCOPY AND IT IS A EASIER TEST TO UNDERGO BECAUSE HE CAN DO AND THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOUSE. BUT IT IS ALSO HARD TO TEST THE SENSE THAT IT A POSITIVE RESULT JUST LEADS TO HAVING TO THE COLONOSCOPY ANYWAY. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE HOW THESE THINGS WORK RIGHT NOW. AND OF COURSE, CALL A GUARD. AND IF IT ARE NOT BE THE GOOD TEST FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE HIGH-RISK PREDISPOSING CONDITIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'VE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH PRECANCEROUS POLYPS BEFORE THE RIGHT TEST FOR YOU IS GOING TO BE COLONOSCOPY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING A COLOR GUARD. COLOGUARD IS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE AVERAGE RISK FOR COLON CANCER. >> SO THEN WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO KIND OF MAYBE OFFSET THE SYMPTOMS OR DO ANYTHING TO DELAY THE PROCESS OF THAT, IS THERE ANY STEPS PEOPLE CAN TAKE? IS IT JUST DIET AND EXERCISE? ARE THERE OTHER METHODS PEOPLE CAN DO TO HELP? YOU KNOW, REDUCED THEIR RISK OF COLORECTAL CANCER. >> SO WE KNOW THE CLARK OF CANCERS ASSOCIATED WITH NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE KNOW IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY, SMOKING ALCOHOL USE. AND SO CERTAINLY NOT SMOKING DRINKING IN LOSING WEIGHT WOULD IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF NOT DEVELOPING CLINICAL CANCER. YES, WE DO KNOW THAT THE CONSUMPTION OF HIGH FIBER DIET AND GENERALLY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WOULD ALSO BE WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO PAUSE AND CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR CHANCES OF DEVELOPING COLORECTAL CANCER. SO BUT I THINK I THINK THAT WOULD BE THAT THESE ARE VERY BROAD RECOMMENDATIONS I WOULD MAKE IN REGARD TO THE LIFESTYLE CHOICE. >> WELL, THEN FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS, ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES YOU CAN SUGGEST FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COLORECTAL CANCER? >> YOU CAN GO. SO, YOU AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY HAS RESOURCES. YOU CAN GO TO THE G I SOCIETIES AMERICAN GUESTS TO DISCUSS ASSOCIATION. I'M ERIC SAID THE BIGGEST CONTEST GLENN DOSS COULD BE. THEY WILL HAVE ONLINE PRESENCE WITH MULTIPLE RESOURCES AVAILABLE HOPE FOR FOLKS WHO WANTS TO. READ AND LEARN MORE. I THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT IS GOING TO YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE, GEE, I SYMPTOMS SUCH AS ANEMIA. YOU KNOW, THERE'S BLOOD IN THE STOOL. IF YOU HAVE WEIGHT LOSS, IF YOU HAVE A DOMINO PING, THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT SHOULD BE HAD. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS HAVE I'VE HEARD SOME THINGS. SOME PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY'RE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE A COLONOSCOPY OR THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT READY FOR A COLONOSCOPY DESPITE HAVING SYMPTOMS. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, IF YOU ALERT YOU, IF WE WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CANCER OR PRECANCEROUS CONDITIONS, THE BEST OFTEN THE BEST PLACE TO START. THE IS YOUR PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR WHO CAN APPROPRIATELY ASSESS YOUR SYMPTOMS AND REFER YOU TO A SPECIALIST IF NECESSARY. I WOULD SAY THAT. >> WELL, DOCTOR, NICOLE, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME