Dr. Ryan Williams is a colorectal surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. A graduate of Albion College, he completed medical school at Michigan State University. Williams specializes in diseases of the colon and rectum. Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer and it’s preventable. If detected early, it’s also one of the most curable.
What can you do to prevent colon cancer?
Adopt a diet with vegetables and fruits high in fiber. A recent study of 77,000 people (published in JAMA Internal Medicine) found that eating a predominantly vegetarian diet with some fish can help decrease the risk of developing colon cancer. People in the study were eating a Mediterranean diet, which also includes nuts and healthy oils like olive oil.
“Any of the vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber are the ones we are looking for to help clear out the colon and help decrease that risk of colon cancer.”
Don’t think you’re at risk because you don’t have any symptoms?
Most patients who develop colon cancer have no obvious risk factors. Colon cancer grows from precancerous polyps that rarely cause symptoms.Polyps are growths on the inside of the colon that can become cancerous.
Knowwhen to get acolonoscopy.
Are you 50 years old? Do you have a family history of colon cancer? Starting at age 50, get regular colon cancer screenings. Start at age 45 if you are African-American. That’s the age at which your risk starts increasing. If colon cancer runs in your family, talk to your doctor about starting screenings earlier.
Why a colonoscopy?
It is the best tool we have to screen AND remove polyps at the same time. The procedure is safe in the hands of experts. it’s important to find an experienced colonoscopist who can spot polyps of different shapes in locations that can be difficult to find and who knows how to take them off in the safest way possible.
