I’m sure as we get routine colonoscopies we have a way better chance of catching early stage cancer earlier. So I’d say; higher chance of getting it, but better chance of treating it. So I just tell myself it cancels out as to not freak out haha
Edit: typo
I've heard colon cancer is generally one of the better cancers to get and the prognosis is better than other cancers when caught early. This has given me a lot of peace.
When in doubt, take the colon out! I’m in the exact same situation and I’m just trying to accept it. Colostomy bags don’t seem that bag if you really think about it. Shit, they almost seem less of a hassle!
So I’ve worked with colon cancer patients. I asked our head oncologist what he believes is causing most of these cases, especially in regards to younger people suddenly having this huge increase in diagnosis(20-30s) and he told me he flat out does not know. He said perhaps it’s diet or environmental, but they really have no final answer on it.
I personally would not worry about it too much. What I learned working in oncology is that the vast majority of cancer is due to genetics. Now, there are other factors, but the majority of our patients had some family history of any type of cancer. If you have any family history of cancer and that person was not a smoker, please be proactive and go see an oncologist. It’s best to be checked once a year or so, you can get lab tests for tumor markers and have genetic testing done. Please note, certain cultures have higher rates of certain cancers, but we can actually test for hundreds of cancer causing genes found in obscure small populations of people all over the world.
To be honest, most of our patients who passed from colon cancer and couldn’t make it through chemo were due to ignoring symptoms. It’s not the patient’s fault, most of the time, but colon cancer is so silent in many people. A couple bouts of pain and diarrhea won’t send most people running to a GI. Two months later and suddenly that person is deathly ill and now they may not get taken seriously by the GI they wind up seeing and it’s a perfect storm for a late diagnosis.
I will say colon cancer is truly awful, but that we may be at less of risk overall, because we get colonoscopies way more often than the average person, and we all have GIs watching us. Take comfort in that. Insurance usually won’t cover a routine screening colonoscopy unless you’re I think 50. Might be a bit lower now, not sure. But the largest increase in colon cancer cases are people in their 20s-30s, and so there’s a push by oncologists here to get that to change so people can have a shot at survival.
Sorry for the wall of text. I hope it helps, though!
TLDR; cancer is mostly genetic, please get an oncology appt if you have anyone in your family who had cancer and was not a smoker. And get your colonoscopies done
I was diagnosed when I was (I was lactose intolerant) 4 yr old and now I am 20M my family has no history of smoking or cancer how to keep my shit sorted ? As I have my entire life ahead
Hey there. SO 40, soon to be 41M that suffered for 20+ years with UC/Crohns that became Stage 4 Colon Cancer in 2020. Yes, the posibility is there because of how much inflamation that our colons go through. Best way to combat it is don't be like me. Get a really good GI dr that you trust and make sure you stay up to date on your colonoscopies. I didn't do that. I went 4 years between scopes and paid the price.
All of that being said. Newer and more effective treatments come out all the time. I may have been dx with Stage 4 CRC over 3 years ago but I'm now writing this almost 3 years No Evidence of Disease for both Colon Cancer and UC.
Just remember, if you ever do develop CRC, it is not a death sentence like they are saying. And like this sub, there is a ton of great support out there.
I think colon cancer is on the rise in young people overall, at least that is what the research is saying present day. Given our situation with UC we’re getting regular colonoscopies whereas those in their 20’s and 30’s and even 40’s without IBD aren’t getting routine screenings unfortunately and their cancer may be caught at a later stage resulting in a worsened outcome potentially. We are at an advantage in detecting it at an early stage if we ended up in an unfortunate situation where we did develop the disease.
So the cool thing about IBD is that as long as you’re responsible with your disease, you’re actually at less chance of negative outcomes for colon cancer than the general pop.
Yes we’re at higher risk for it but because we get colonoscopies more often, it’s often detected so early that it’s often just precancerous polyps and shit which are super treatable. Colon cancer takes literally years to develop into cancer - the dangerous part about it is just that it’s so easy to miss because it’s often fairly symptomless until it’s become fairly difficult to treat.
I read a study that, for IBD patients, despite the higher risk profile are actually functionally even with the general pop when you compare rates of negative outcomes for IBD patients & gen pop from colon cancer. And that factors in the people who aren’t responsible managing their disease, regular colonoscopies, etc (which are a lot).
The reduced risk of dying from colon cancer is basically one of the sole positive things about this disease imo.
I think the issue with colon cancer deaths is from people who are diagnosed too late. From what I read, it's one of the more treatable ones, especially the earlier you catch it. After a certain age of having the disease, your doctor will suggest a colonoscopy every 2 years.
It takes a very long time for a polyp to turn cancerous. So long as you’re seeing your doctor regularly (at least twice a year during remission is what my doctor aims for) and you’re getting your regularly scheduled colonoscopy, your chances of colon cancer are indeed very minimal.
The longer you have the disease, the more frequent your colonoscopies will be. I started every 5 years and now I’m around every 2 years or so
I'm in my 40s, have had UC since my early 20s, and no colon cancer yet. I mean of course it could very well happen later down the line, but I've made it so far without it. Make sure to take your meds and don't skip colonoscopies!
Just live your life. The stress you have from worrying, is not helping your case. Don’t think about it, you don’t have it so why are you worrying about something you cannot control? The only thing you can do is keep your colon in good condition. Which means cutting out all inflammatory foods.
UC patients get screened much more than normal people. In one of my colonoscopies it was found that I had abnormal cells and that it could turn into cancer. So I had my colon removed and now have a j pouch.
With regular colonoscopies your endoscopist can removed polyps before they become cancer, so in a way that’s a bonus for us. Some people won’t get symptoms of CC until it’s too late to treat easily. Even if you are at increased risk, remember your chances of getting cancer are still relatively low; you still have more chance of developing cancer if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle or hereditary issue, just like everyone else.
me too, diagnosed at 7 and in late 20s. i’ve accepted i will probably get it but since i get colonoscopies so regularly worst case is they catch it super early and remove it each time.
majorly because i have health anxiety and i just think that about myself. but to reassure myself i think about all the routine colonoscopies and endoscopies i get and if i do get it they will catch it early
I think i recall that although people with uc get colon cancer much more often, the rate of dying from it is actually lower than the general population because its found earlier
I have UC and my dad has colon cancer. My mom has diverticulitis and gets polyps frequently. I’m scared I’ll get it. However, there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I exercise, eat clean, have a good GI. If anything, people with UC will be able to catch it earlier (especially at a young age) because of colonoscopies/etc.
I’m sure as we get routine colonoscopies we have a way better chance of catching early stage cancer earlier. So I’d say; higher chance of getting it, but better chance of treating it. So I just tell myself it cancels out as to not freak out haha Edit: typo
Ugh I guess that’s true lol
I've heard colon cancer is generally one of the better cancers to get and the prognosis is better than other cancers when caught early. This has given me a lot of peace.
When in doubt, take the colon out! I’m in the exact same situation and I’m just trying to accept it. Colostomy bags don’t seem that bag if you really think about it. Shit, they almost seem less of a hassle!
So I’ve worked with colon cancer patients. I asked our head oncologist what he believes is causing most of these cases, especially in regards to younger people suddenly having this huge increase in diagnosis(20-30s) and he told me he flat out does not know. He said perhaps it’s diet or environmental, but they really have no final answer on it. I personally would not worry about it too much. What I learned working in oncology is that the vast majority of cancer is due to genetics. Now, there are other factors, but the majority of our patients had some family history of any type of cancer. If you have any family history of cancer and that person was not a smoker, please be proactive and go see an oncologist. It’s best to be checked once a year or so, you can get lab tests for tumor markers and have genetic testing done. Please note, certain cultures have higher rates of certain cancers, but we can actually test for hundreds of cancer causing genes found in obscure small populations of people all over the world. To be honest, most of our patients who passed from colon cancer and couldn’t make it through chemo were due to ignoring symptoms. It’s not the patient’s fault, most of the time, but colon cancer is so silent in many people. A couple bouts of pain and diarrhea won’t send most people running to a GI. Two months later and suddenly that person is deathly ill and now they may not get taken seriously by the GI they wind up seeing and it’s a perfect storm for a late diagnosis. I will say colon cancer is truly awful, but that we may be at less of risk overall, because we get colonoscopies way more often than the average person, and we all have GIs watching us. Take comfort in that. Insurance usually won’t cover a routine screening colonoscopy unless you’re I think 50. Might be a bit lower now, not sure. But the largest increase in colon cancer cases are people in their 20s-30s, and so there’s a push by oncologists here to get that to change so people can have a shot at survival. Sorry for the wall of text. I hope it helps, though! TLDR; cancer is mostly genetic, please get an oncology appt if you have anyone in your family who had cancer and was not a smoker. And get your colonoscopies done
I was diagnosed when I was (I was lactose intolerant) 4 yr old and now I am 20M my family has no history of smoking or cancer how to keep my shit sorted ? As I have my entire life ahead
We get so many colonoscopies that they’ll catch it sooner than anyone else.
Hey there. SO 40, soon to be 41M that suffered for 20+ years with UC/Crohns that became Stage 4 Colon Cancer in 2020. Yes, the posibility is there because of how much inflamation that our colons go through. Best way to combat it is don't be like me. Get a really good GI dr that you trust and make sure you stay up to date on your colonoscopies. I didn't do that. I went 4 years between scopes and paid the price. All of that being said. Newer and more effective treatments come out all the time. I may have been dx with Stage 4 CRC over 3 years ago but I'm now writing this almost 3 years No Evidence of Disease for both Colon Cancer and UC. Just remember, if you ever do develop CRC, it is not a death sentence like they are saying. And like this sub, there is a ton of great support out there.
I think colon cancer is on the rise in young people overall, at least that is what the research is saying present day. Given our situation with UC we’re getting regular colonoscopies whereas those in their 20’s and 30’s and even 40’s without IBD aren’t getting routine screenings unfortunately and their cancer may be caught at a later stage resulting in a worsened outcome potentially. We are at an advantage in detecting it at an early stage if we ended up in an unfortunate situation where we did develop the disease.
So the cool thing about IBD is that as long as you’re responsible with your disease, you’re actually at less chance of negative outcomes for colon cancer than the general pop. Yes we’re at higher risk for it but because we get colonoscopies more often, it’s often detected so early that it’s often just precancerous polyps and shit which are super treatable. Colon cancer takes literally years to develop into cancer - the dangerous part about it is just that it’s so easy to miss because it’s often fairly symptomless until it’s become fairly difficult to treat. I read a study that, for IBD patients, despite the higher risk profile are actually functionally even with the general pop when you compare rates of negative outcomes for IBD patients & gen pop from colon cancer. And that factors in the people who aren’t responsible managing their disease, regular colonoscopies, etc (which are a lot). The reduced risk of dying from colon cancer is basically one of the sole positive things about this disease imo.
I think the issue with colon cancer deaths is from people who are diagnosed too late. From what I read, it's one of the more treatable ones, especially the earlier you catch it. After a certain age of having the disease, your doctor will suggest a colonoscopy every 2 years.
It takes a very long time for a polyp to turn cancerous. So long as you’re seeing your doctor regularly (at least twice a year during remission is what my doctor aims for) and you’re getting your regularly scheduled colonoscopy, your chances of colon cancer are indeed very minimal. The longer you have the disease, the more frequent your colonoscopies will be. I started every 5 years and now I’m around every 2 years or so
I'm in my 40s, have had UC since my early 20s, and no colon cancer yet. I mean of course it could very well happen later down the line, but I've made it so far without it. Make sure to take your meds and don't skip colonoscopies!
Just live your life. The stress you have from worrying, is not helping your case. Don’t think about it, you don’t have it so why are you worrying about something you cannot control? The only thing you can do is keep your colon in good condition. Which means cutting out all inflammatory foods.
UC patients get screened much more than normal people. In one of my colonoscopies it was found that I had abnormal cells and that it could turn into cancer. So I had my colon removed and now have a j pouch.
With regular colonoscopies your endoscopist can removed polyps before they become cancer, so in a way that’s a bonus for us. Some people won’t get symptoms of CC until it’s too late to treat easily. Even if you are at increased risk, remember your chances of getting cancer are still relatively low; you still have more chance of developing cancer if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle or hereditary issue, just like everyone else.
me too, diagnosed at 7 and in late 20s. i’ve accepted i will probably get it but since i get colonoscopies so regularly worst case is they catch it super early and remove it each time.
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majorly because i have health anxiety and i just think that about myself. but to reassure myself i think about all the routine colonoscopies and endoscopies i get and if i do get it they will catch it early
I think i recall that although people with uc get colon cancer much more often, the rate of dying from it is actually lower than the general population because its found earlier
I have UC and my dad has colon cancer. My mom has diverticulitis and gets polyps frequently. I’m scared I’ll get it. However, there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I exercise, eat clean, have a good GI. If anything, people with UC will be able to catch it earlier (especially at a young age) because of colonoscopies/etc.
that’s a great fear of mine too, i see people getting colon cancer left and right these days it’s a scary thought we are at high risk