The specialist pointed out that “although it is very difficult to establish a direct causal relationship, since there are many factors involved, it is evident that there is an increase in cases in young patients, even in those who do not have a genetic background.”
Laudanno described that experimental studies conducted with animals reported that drinking beverages with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) predisposes to the development of larger and more aggressive cancer lesions.
“Intake of unhealthy products modifies the intestinal microbiota and there are certain types of bacteria that give colon cancer a more aggressive imprint. Today we know that an inadequate microbiota favors colon cancer,” he said.
In that sense, he indicated that “alcohol intake is also an impact factor” and stressed that “as young people consume more and more, when metabolizing alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that would be a human carcinogen, especially from the tube digestive, acting particularly on the intestine”.
According to the National Cancer Institute (INC), Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent in Argentina; In 2020, there were 15,895 new cases, of which 8,493 were diagnosed in men and 7,402 in women.
In addition, it is the second cancer in mortality, with 7,502 total deaths in 2019, of which 3,945 were men and 3,557 women.
Colon and rectal cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the last portion of the digestive tract, the large intestine.
“It occurs as a result of a complex interaction of hereditary factors and other so-called environmental factors, which are related to diet and lifestyle,” according to material released by the National Cancer Institute (INC) on the occasion of the date.
That work stated that “more than 90% of colorectal cancers occur in people over 50 years of age (men and women in practically equal proportions), for which the increase in life expectancy and the decrease in birth rates observed in the country, with the consequent aging of the population, will generate an increase in the population vulnerable to this disease in the coming decades”.
“In 75% of cases, colon cancer develops in people who have no personal or family history of this disease,” said Nicolás Rotholtz, head of the Surgery Service and the Colorectal Surgery Section of the German Hospital of Buenos Aires.
The specialist added that “the rest occur in patients with some risk factor, such as a personal history of single or multiple adenomas, previous colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s Disease), and family history of colorectal cancer or of single or multiple adenomas”.
“In the colon and rectum, in more than 80% of cases, this abnormal cell growth first generates a benign polyp called adenoma, which grows slowly and takes approximately 10 years to transform into cancer. That is why this type of cancer can be prevented and detected early can be cured,” he added.
The Program for the Prevention and Early Detection of CRC (Pnccr) of the INC proposes as a screening method for the general population the immunochemical fecal occult blood test (Tsomfi) on an annual basis for all people between 50 and 75 years of age, without personal or family history and without symptoms that may be related to pathology.
For people with history or symptoms (change in bowel movement frequency, bleeding during bowel movements, frequent abdominal or rectal pain, anemia or weight loss), referral to a Background and Risk Assessment Council is necessary, which will establish the corresponding studies. , which will surely include a video colonoscopy.
“The identification of cases in younger populations sparked a new debate in scientific communities around the world,” said Betiana Pucci, also a doctor at Lanari and a member of the SAGE Board of Directors.
Pucci explained that the American Cancer Society recommends that people who are at average risk (with no history of inflammatory bowel disease or prior colorectal cancer) see their doctor regularly and start regular screening at age 45.
However, in Argentina, the indication for patients with no history is from 50 years of age.
“However, in patients with a history of the disease in first-degree relatives, it is necessary to study from the age of 40 or 10 years before the age of the relative at the time of the development of the disease, whichever comes first,” he described. Pucci.
Due to the pandemic, in 2020, the screening coverage of the INC Program was reduced by 47% compared to 2019 and only 13% accessed endoscopic diagnosis.
For its part, a survey by the Argentine Society of Coloproctology (SACP) showed that consultations and surgeries for colorectal cancer fell between 50% and 72% between March and August 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
However, prior to the pandemic, the number of adequate controls was not carried out either.
Clinical oncologist Juan Manuel O’Connor, head of the Gastrointestinal Tumors area of the Alexander Fleming Institute, recalled that in the 4th National Survey on Risk Factors of 2019 (ENFR, carried out by the Ministry of Health and Indec) “only 31 .6% of people between 50 and 75 years old said they had ever had a test.
“The treatment depends on the moment it is diagnosed. 75% of the cases require an initial surgery and it may happen that some people after the operation must go through chemotherapy,” said Federico Esteso (MN 108803), clinical oncologist and advisor to the Varifarma Laboratory.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
