"Early detection, early treatment" is the highest guiding principle. Early detection of colorectal cancer is not easy as described previously, but there are ways to do it. The American Cancer Society recommends:

• The general public aged 50 or older should receive annual fecal occult blood examination and sigmoidoscopy examination every 3 to 5 years.
• People with familial multiple polyposis syndrome should have sigmoidoscopy every year from age 10 until age 40, and colonoscopy every 3 years after age 40, and gastrointestinal examination every 3 years to detect polyposis as early as possible.
• People whose first-degree relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer should undergo a fecal occult blood test and rectal touch every year from the age of 35-40, and sigmoidoscopy every 3 to 5 years.
• If there are two cases of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives, people should receive colonoscopy every 3 to 5 years from the age of 35-40 or from the age of onset of the relative with colorectal cancer minus 5 years.
• If there are three cases of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives or whose age of onset of colorectal cancer is 30 years old or younger, people should consider the possible presence of familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.

Free Screening for Rectal Cancer

At present, the Department of Health has started free screening for colorectal cancer. For people aged 50 to 69 who are at high risk of colorectal cancer, fecal occult blood testing is conducted every two years in order to screen early colorectal cancer patients.

Attention Should Also be Paid to Daily Diet and Life

• Eat less animal fat and more high-fiber foods, such as germ rice, brown rice, whole-grain food and fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Develop good bowel habits.
• Quit smoking, exercise more, and maintain your ideal weight.
• People with a high BMI and a large abdominal girth are twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer as those with a normal BMI, according to the study (BMI is body mass index, defined as weight in kilograms (kg) divided by height in meters² (m²), with the normal value between 18.5 and 23.9). People who exercise more are also 40 to 50% less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

Reminder

The Bureau of Health Promotion emphasizes that colorectal cancer can be detected and treated early as long as it is examined by simple fecal occult blood testing. People aged 50 or older are urged to receive a fecal occult blood test once a year and colonoscopy every 10 years in order to improve the survival rate of colorectal cancer.