Fibre prevents colon cancer
Men are more likely than women to develop colorectal cancer (or colon cancer). Based on US statistics, for every three men with the condition there are two women and more than 90 per cent of the cases occur in people older than 50. The colon (which is the rectum and the large intestines) plays an important role in digestion, as it re-absorbs water from the digested foodstuff and stores and eliminates waste. The colon is lined with cells that might begin to grow in an uncontrolled way or become cancerous. These cancerous cells can spread to other areas of the body.
Medical experts say that a diet high in fat and low in fibre places the man at a greater risk of developing the condition. Prevention strategy should therefore include changing the diet to include more fruits and vegetables. Other risk factors include age (the risk increases as one gets older), family history, those who inherit a genetic defect and those who have had inflammatory bowel disease (or ulcerative colitis).
The man might be unaware of the condition as usually there are no signs and symptoms but some people have reported symptoms that include blood in the stool, changes in bowel movements and in the appearance of the stool.
Routine screening is recommended especially for those at risk for colon cancer. The screening tests include the faecal occult blood test (or checking for blood in the stool), the colonoscopy (a lighted instrument is used to exam the rectum and colon, the barium enaema (the patient takes a solution that coats the colon and rectum before an X-ray is taken) or just the digital rectal examination of the rectum
and colon.
