Important news for all of us, especially those who have a higher chance of suffering from colon cancer symptoms. A new report suggests that eating too much meat, including processed meats might just up your risk of getting colon cancer. Cancer of the colon is the 3rd most common cancer, after skin cancers, diagnosed in the United States.

Doctors tell us that most all cancers of this type get started in the glands that line the colon and rectum. This type of cancer often starts out as noncancerous polyps that over time develop into cancer. Experts are coming to believe that what we put into our bodies may play a part in the risk of colon cancer – a high fat, low fiber diet, loaded with red or processed meats is not what your body needs to stay cancer free.

The AICR recommends eating just 18 ounces of red meat (beef, lamb, pork) per week as this brings only a tiny increase in risk of colon cancer. This works out to roughly five or six small portions per week.

Processed meat is a no-no as the findings of the report showed that consuming processed meat increases your risk of colon cancer two times as much as eating red meats. The larger the quantities of processed meat you eat, the more risk you have for developing colon cancer.

Those who eat 24.5 ounces a week (about 3.5 ounces a day) of red meats face a 17% higher chance of colon cancer in comparison to those who eat no red/processed meats according to the AICR/WCRF report. Those who ate 7 ounces of red meat a day, a whopping 49 ounces a week, were found to have a 34% greater chance of developing colon cancer.

Why is red and processed meat so bad for you?

No one knows exactly, some suggest chemicals known as heterocyclicamines, a by product when cooking meat at a very high temperature, might play a part. Processed meats are created by just such processes – i.e. smoking, curing or salting and adding things like nitrates – none of those sound very healthy. We also know that the body changes nitrates into nitrosamines, known to raise the risk of cancer.

Moderating your intake of red meats is a smart move. And by doing so you leave more room in your meals for good foods like veggies and whole grains. As for the processed variety, less is more.

The report also cautions against drinking too much alcohol, as this might up your colon cancer risk. Extra fat in the belly area appears to play a part in increased cancer risk, which is why experts recommend making other healthy lifestyle choices – taking in more fiber and being more active on a regular basis as being so important.

Cutting red and processed meats from the diet, as well as making other dietary and lifestyle changes (drinking less alcohol, eating more fiber, being active regularly and keeping your weight in the healthy range) could prevent just under half of all colon cancers. That’s over 64,000 cases each and every year according to the latest findings.

The good news, explains expert panel members who examined all the literature on the risk of colon cancer symptoms, is that people do have an element of control over the risk of this terrible disease. You can do something to help yourself, but you have to act now, and avoiding eating too much meat is an easy place to start.

By Mert Ozge

A colon cancer survival rate refers to the percentage of people who were reported still living after being diagnosed with the cancer about 5 yrs ago.

There are already a lot of Americans that were diagnosed (and still being diagnosed) with cancer of the colon today. In 2005, more than 70,000 men and almost 70,000 women were diagnosed with colon cancer. In addition, more than 25,000 lives from each gender are being taken annually in the US but the fortunate news is, the colon cancer survival rate is also getting higher as the years progress.

The reason for this is the better health care facilities and services, faster treatment and modern advances. Many physicians believe in the fact that if only most cancer cases are detected early, the rate of survival would surge sky high. The same as cancer of the colon – it can be avoided altogether if there is early detection and more people undergoes colonoscopy as one of the procedures to be done to detect colon cancer.

More less intrusive techniques are also being discovered and introduced by doctors and hospitals. The good thing about them is that they are easier to use and takes less time, which makes it very convenient for both the medical practitioner and the patients.

The average over-all colon cancer survival rate for patients in some countries is reported as follows:

• 62% in Australia
• 68% in Korea
• 43% in Europe
• 62% in the United States of America

As mentioned before, the earlier the stage, the better your chances of survival. The colon cancer survival rate may only depend on what stage a patient is diagnosed. The good thing about early detection is that the cancer cells are still confined in a certain small area, making it easier to be removed from the body. In its earliest stage, the rate of survival is over 95%. To increase the rate of survival, regular screening is heavily advised to find and treat the disease in time.

It is said that if Americans were regularly examined for colon cancer, we can save about 25,000 lives each year. That is a lot of people who are given chances to live second lives. Sometimes, when the disease is already there, “prevention” is instantaneously rendered useless. So the best thing that you can do is detect the disease early. Make sure you got the best doctors for the job! You can also decrease the chances of getting the cancer by eating healthy foods and living a healthy life.