Typical Colon Cancer Age

The statistics for colon cancer are quite remarkable. It is in fact the in the top 3 of most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. Also, it is the second largest killer. The risk of getting colon cancer depends on a few factors which are described elsewhere on this website. In this article we will look into one of these risks in particular; Age. Although many factors can increase or decrease the likelihood of getting colon cancer age has a great deal to do with statistics.

It is a common misconception that only middle age to older people can get this type of cancer. There is some truth in this. Typically, when diagnosed with colon cancer ages do average at between 50 and 60 years old, and older people are at more risk than the young. Having said that, colon cancer can occur in young people also but this is less common. Around 10% of colon cancer patients are under 40 years old.

If you are trying to work out the chances of you getting this disease then other factors besides colon cancer age need to be taken into consideration. First of all, although colon cancer is not always hereditary, this can have an impact on your chances of getting it. Look into your family history a little and see if either side have a history of polyps or colon cancer. Also if you have suffered from any of the following health issues then you may also be more at risk: Inflammatory bowel disease, and uterine, ovarian, or breast cancer.

You will already be aware that with almost all cancers, the best chances of survival occur in those cases that are diagnosed whilst still in the early stages. With colon cancer there are some precautions you can take to ensure that if you are unlucky, you will be diagnosed quickly and therefore increase your survival chances. Unless you have a family history as mentioned above, it is not really necessary to take too many precautions before the age of 40. Simply eat healthy food, keep your fibre intake high, and take regular exercise.

Once you reach the age of 40 you may want to consider being checked yearly. One test will involve examining stools for blood. Another will consist of a digital rectal examination.

When you reach the big 50, you should see your health care provider and request a sigmoidoscopic examination. This procedure involves passing a thin and flexible tube into the lower section of the anal passage and looking for polyps or growths in the large bowel. This will help to identify early stages of colon cancer. Also, every 10 years it is a good idea to have a colonoscopy. This is very similar to the examination described above except that it looks at the entire large bowel and not just the lower section.

Although none of the above procedures mentioned here seem pleasant, you can see that with colon cancer age has a large role to play and by taking precautions as you get older, you could save yourself from a fate far worse.