As Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is observed in March, we’d like to share some facts that everyone should know for health.
 
According to an estimation by International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC), almost 2 million cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) were diagnosed. CRC now is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer death, leading to almost 1 million deaths per year. Though effective screening techniques could reduce the number of deaths from this disease, the silent symptoms of CRC make it hardly diagnosed. 


Who are affected by colorectal cancer?
Both men and women face 4-5% lifetime risk of developing CRC, but male may get colorectal cancer at an earlier age than women. The risk of CRC increases with age, and people with a family history of colorectal cancer have 2-5 times more risk. Some people may inherit colon cancer syndromes that increase their risk of developing the disease.

What symptoms does CRC lead to?
Most symptoms of CRC are silent, and they become noticeable as the disease develops. It may take several years to grow up to colorectal cancer, and people with I stage CRC still have about 95% chance to survive. In the CRC I stage, mild bleeding in digestive tract usually occurs but blood in stool is usually ignored or misunderstood as hemorrhoids. In later stages, bleeding becomes severe and patients will suffer anemia, consequent unreasonable tiredness, weight loss and abdominal pain, which are probably the only noticeable symptoms of CRC. Most CRC cases are found to be in stage II, III or IV, with chance of survival lowering to about 75%, 40% and 5% respectively. 


What should I do to prevent CRC?
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. It takes an estimated 10 years for certain polyps turn into cancers, and finding these pre-cancerous polyps can prevent the colon cancer. There are several types of tests offered for CRC screening, such as:
—Flexible sigmoidoscopy
—Colonoscopy
—Radiological imaging
—Stool testing (gFOBT, FIT, iFOB)
 
As it is almost impossible to notice CRC from physical symptoms, regular screening tests are strongly recommended to prevent and control it as early as possible. The non-intrusive and cheap iFOB test can sensitively detect bleeding in your digestive tract and abnormal test result warns the possibility of intestinal disease, creating chance for timely detection of CRC and early treatment. Wondfo One Step Fecal Occult Blood (FOB) Test (Colloidal Gold) allows either rapid self-testing at home or rapid measurement by professionals, requiring no auxiliary machine for testing. All-in-one sampler provided in the kit allows easy operation and results can be released in 10 minutes. With high sensitivity (96.1%) and specificity (95.5%), it can satisfy the needs for CBC screening. Meanwhile, Wondfo offers a solution for quantitative measurement by professionals—Finecare™ iFOB rapid quantitative test with FIA Meters (FS-113, FS-114, FS-205). With room-temperature stable reagents, rapid results are ready in only 5 minutes.


What can I do in my daily life to lower the risk?
Many habits may help lower the risk, such as taking a healthy diet with vegetables, fruits, and whole grain fiber; quit drinking and smoking and take regular physical exercises so as to keep a normal body weight; check you stool and if there is a change in bowel habits, talk to a doctor. It is suggested that adults age 45 to 75 should be screened for colorectal cancer. 


Since the founding in 1992, Wondfo has been sparing no efforts in providing products and services of cutting-edge technology. Wondfo has been and will be committed to provide the public with accurate, easy-operating tests for self-test as well as professional measurement.