Colon cancer prevention was consolidated as the central axis of the academic meeting ‘IDA Healthcare-Northwell Health’, held at the Ibero-American University (UNIBE) in Santo Domingo, where national and international specialists addressed the latest advances in gastroenterology, advanced endoscopy, obesity, and surgery. The Dominican Institute of Gastroenterology (IDG) has reinforced this message, organizing a national seminar that highlights screening as the most effective strategy to identify precancerous lesions and prevent their development, confirming that colon cancer prevention is the only real way to reduce mortality associated with this disease.
In a country where around 1,400 new cases of colorectal cancer are detected annually, 90% of which occur in people over 50 years old, colon cancer prevention becomes indispensable. Clinical studies have shown a significant decrease in mortality thanks to new diagnostic technologies and the systematic implementation of early detection tests from 45 years old in high-risk populations. Colonoscopy, considered the method of choice, allows for the detection of premalignant lesions and prevents cancer from appearing, validating that colon cancer prevention is the most powerful tool available today.
Risk factors that require colon cancer prevention
The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases significantly in the presence of overweight, obesity, smoking, family history of cancer (especially if diagnosed at ages under 45), presence of adenomatous polyps, and inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, colon cancer prevention requires modifying eating habits: cooking meat at very high temperatures (frying, grilling, or barbecuing) generates chemicals that can increase the risk, although it is not clear how much this affects. Colon cancer prevention also involves avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, as physical inactivity can increase the risk of developing this disease.
Warning symptoms that confirm the urgency of colon cancer prevention
The most common symptoms that require immediate attention are changes in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, and weight loss. If a person presents any of these signs, they should seek medical attention immediately, as the earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of survival. Colon cancer prevention should not wait for symptoms to appear; it is a proactive strategy that saves lives. Gastroenterologist Richard Moya has confirmed that colonoscopy is the most effective study for early diagnosis, reinforcing that colon cancer prevention is the best defense available.
In conclusion, colon cancer prevention is the only strategy that has demonstrated a significant reduction in mortality in the Dominican Republic and worldwide. Through colon cancer prevention, precancerous lesions can be identified, their development can be prevented, and lives can be saved, making colon cancer prevention the absolute priority in public health.
