Doctors stress the need for screening to identify colorectal cancer early

Suneeta Reddy, managing director, Apollo Hospitals Group, talking on the press meet held on Friday.
| Picture Credit score: M. SRINATH

With the rising development of colorectal most cancers turning right into a trigger for concern, docs raised the necessity for screening to determine and deal with the most cancers early.

Colorectal (bowel) most cancers is most cancers arising from the big gut. Relying on the placement within the massive bowel, it may be both colon most cancers or rectal most cancers. It often impacts individuals aged 50 and above. However one concern is that in India, round one-third of those cancers have an effect on individuals aged 40 to 50. Males are affected greater than ladies, in line with a press launch.

Okay.R. Palaniswamy, president, Tamil Nadu Gastroenterologist Belief and senior guide, gastroenterology, Apollo Hospitals, stated consciousness on colon most cancers was low. “It’s treatable, and it is very important diagnose it early,” he stated, including: “We have to promote screening for early prognosis.” He stated within the U.S., colonoscopy was obligatory for individuals after the age of 45.

The belief, together with Apollo Hospitals, is organising ‘Colon Most cancers Symposium 2025’ on Saturday (March 22, 2025). In India, one in 10,000 individuals develop bowel most cancers. Nonetheless, two out of three individuals recognized with this most cancers die in the identical 12 months as a result of late prognosis, the discharge stated.

Summarising the findings of a colorectal research achieved by the Indian Society of Gastroenterology, Tamil Nadu Chapter, throughout 2021-22, Ubal Dhus, senior guide, gastroenterology, Apollo Hospitals, stated 1,200 sufferers recognized with colorectal most cancers from 23 centres — each authorities and personal hospitals — throughout the State had been assessed.

On the chance components, he stated one-fourth of them had been people who smoke, one-third consumed alcohol, and one-third had been overweight; weight problems poses a better danger of colorectal most cancers. “Colorectal most cancers is taken into account a most cancers of the prosperous society. However this isn’t true. Two-thirds of them belonged to the decrease socio-economic group. They’d no entry to screening and therapy,” Dr. Dhus stated.

He had earlier stated there was a rising development of colorectal most cancers within the final decade. There was a 20% enhance throughout the nation, he added.

N. Thirumoorthi, lead medical gastroenterologist, Most cancers Institute, stated: “A easy stool take a look at can decide up colon most cancers early. If the stool take a look at is optimistic, a colonoscopy may be achieved.” Invisible blood within the stool may be recognized by way of the take a look at (faecal occult blood screening), he added.

P. Basumani, guide, Apollo Hospitals, stated colon most cancers was the fourth frequent most cancers in India. It was 95% curable if recognized early. Elaborating about colonoscopy, Karthik Natarajan of Apollo Hospitals, stated it helped detect abnormalities comparable to polyps, most cancers, and irritation. “Synthetic intelligence (AI) has made its approach into colonoscopy as properly. We’ve built-in an AI system in colonoscopy to detect polyps that aren’t invisible to the bare eyes,” he stated.

Suneeta Reddy, managing director, Apollo Hospitals Group, harassed the necessity for good preventive healthcare protocols. Shyam Varadarajulu, president, Orlando Well being Digestive Well being Institute, and Mo Thoufeeq, guide Gastroenterologist, College of Sheffield, U.Okay., spoke.