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Rise in colon cancer deaths among young Israelis
New report shows increase in diagnoses of colon cancer among 20-49 year olds, and a drop in diagnoses of people over 50.
There has been an increase in the number of young Israelis who are diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer, according to a report by the Health Ministry and the Israel Cancer Association released last week.
.JPG "Campaign encouraging Israelis to undergo colonoscopy for early detection of colon cancer.")
According to the report, 3,224 Israelis were diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2013 - 2,375 were diagnosed with colon cancer, and the rest were diagnosed with rectal cancer.
Colon cancer is the second most common malignant disease in Israel. It is the second most common invasive cancer among Jewish men (13.5 percent of cancer diagnoses done in 2013), followed only by prostate cancer, and the second most common among Jewish women (11.1 percent) after breast cancer.
.JPG "Campaign encouraging Israelis to undergo colonoscopy for early detection of colon cancer.")
Campaign encouraging Israelis to undergo colonoscopy for early detection of colon cancer.
Despite the fact colon cancer is more common among people over the age of 60, particularly among those over 75, the report points to a surprising increase in colon cancer diagnoses among 20-49 year olds.
Meanwhile, there has been a drop in diagnoses of Israelis over 50, which may be the result of a campaign by the Health Ministry and Israel Cancer Association calling on Israelis to undergo a colonoscopy for early detection of colon cancer.
The report also found that colon cancer was more common among people of European and American descent than among people of Asian, African and Israeli descent.
The main risk factors are age, family history, a previous benign tumor in the colon, an inflammatory bowel disease, or genetic mutations. Some behaviors could also affect the disease, such as obesity, nutrition high on fats and low on fibers, smoking, and the consumption of alcohol.
According to the report, the survival rate of colon and rectal cancer patients has increased in recent years, but that type of cancer is still considered the second most common cancer-related death. In 2013, 1,366 Israelis passed away from colon or rectal cancer.
The report, written by Prof. Lital Keinan-Boker, the Deputy Director of the Israel Center for Disease Control (ICDC) at the Ministry of Health and a consultant for the Israel Cancer Association, was released ahead of the Colon Cancer Awareness Month.
