Know Your Risk for Colorectal Cancer

March is recognized as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, established in 2000 to raise awareness about this prevalent disease. The initiative aims to promote early detection through increased screenings, improving treatment outcomes and saving lives.

Colorectal cancer is highly preventable with screening and highly treatable when caught early, but it doesn’t present with a lot of symptoms in the early stages (or the symptoms are often confused with other health maladies).

For your elderly loved one, understanding their risk factors, both controllable and uncontrollable, can help you plan with their doctor the best steps for prevention and detection.

Risk Factors That Cannot Be Altered

• Sex. Men are more likely than women to develop the disease and die from it.
• Age. While any age can develop the disease, and unfortunately, it is getting more common in younger generations, being over the age of 50 does increase the risk.
• Race. The following races are more likely to develop the disease: American Indians, Native Alaskans, African Americans, and Jews of Eastern European descent.
• Family History, especially if it is a close family member like a parent, child, or sibling.
• Having had the gallbladder removed.
• Being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Lifestyle-related Colorectal Cancer Risks

If your loved one has any of the risk factors he cannot change, plus has some lifestyle habits that are unhealthy, he can increase his risk of developing colorectal cancer. The risk factors he might be able to lessen include:

• Being obese. Being overweight raises the risk of colorectal cancer, especially in men.
• Having Type 2 Diabetes.
• Living on a diet that is rich in red meat and processed meat. Cooking them at a high temperature, such as grilling or frying seems to increase the risk.
• Having low amounts of Vitamin D in the blood. Vitamin D is best absorbed by the sun and certain foods like salmon and sardines.
• Smoking can increase the risk of colon polyps which can become cancerous
• Drinking alcohol regularly. Even light to moderate alcohol intake can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Reduce Colorectal Cancer Risk by Implementing New Lifestyle Habits

The adage to find the courage to change the things you can while accepting those you cannot serves as a good reminder that there are steps your elderly loved one can take to reduce his risk of colorectal cancer, especially if he has other high-risk indicators that he cannot change.

Change can be difficult for anyone, so your loved one might find it helpful to enlist some support and assistance as he makes changes to his lifestyle habits. One great way to provide him with the support he needs while you are away is to have his senior home care team step in. With senior home care assistance, you can let your loved one’s team know what his desires are for healthier living. A senior home care team can help him prepare meals that promote better health as well as encourage him to implement daily exercise into his routine. With the help of a senior home care team, your loved one will increase his odds of success and living a more healthy lifestyle in no time.

Reference
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior home care in Yonkers, NY, please contact the caring staff at Griswold Home Care for Scarsdale & Yonkers today. (914) 337-5028.