In 2019, after going to the emergency room and finding out I was constipated. The gastro doctor did a colonoscopy where she took a small sample of something in my colon but figured it would be nothing and just part of the colon. Turns out it was sessile serated adenoma polyp and it was low-risk for cancer but it did have the potential of becoming cancer. My gastro doctor was stunned because I was her youngest patient ever to have a polyp and to have a pre-cancerous polyp.
They usually say that diet, smoking, obesity, ulcerative colitis or chrons disease, or family genetics are what causes these types of issues but there is no history in my family of colon polyps or colon cancer. I am the very first one on both sides of my family. This really made thing more clear for me, that I really needed to make a change. I was 23 years old and was told that I had something that was pre-cancerous, but I am young how can I have health problems like this? Turns out, that the age for colon cancer is actually getting younger. Doctors recommend to get your first colonoscopy when you turn 50. In a study done in 2010, they had found in the United States that there is a major increase in young people being diagnosed with colon cancer. They expect by the year 2030, that the rates will have increased by nearly 90% and 124.2% for patients between the ages of 20-34 (Bailey, You, Hu, Rodriguez). Furthermore, a study done in Europe showed that there was a 7.9% increase every year for diagnosed colon cancer for those between the ages of 20-29 and a 4.9% increase for those that aged between 30-39 (Vuik, Nieuwenburg, Bardou, Landsorp-Vogelaar, 2018).
The rates are increasing and there is a problem that no one is wanting to talk about. I have tried do countless bits of research on colon polyps and the only answers that I can come up with for myself is that I am overweight (according to the American standard) and I used to have a high meat diet. Like meat every single meal of every single day! I use to be a major meat eater. But along with other health concerns, pesco-vegetarianism has become the way that I choose to eat and I feel great! I also don't eat gluten or dairy but they have done research that has found that with a more vegetarian based diet (less than 1 piece of meat per month) have a 48% less chance of getting colon cancer. Meat, especially red meat, has been linked to being more inflammatory and it seems that there is more research coming out on how it may harm our health. However, I do believe that there are some people out there that are better off on diets with meat but I do believe that we could all be eating more fruits and vegetables in reality.
With a 50% less chance of developing colon cancer done by the researchers, I will tell you that I am loving eating this way. It makes me feel good, energised, and I bloat so much less! I don't know the answers to why colon cancer happens to everyone, there are people that are vegetarian and even vegan that have been diagnosed with colon cancer. But this is my experience and I am sharing what is working for me right now. In about 6 months, I have to go back to have another colonoscopy to make sure that nothing has grown back and when that day happens I will update all of you!
Xoxo,
Moonli
Bailey, H., Hu, C., Bednarski, B. et al. (2015) Increasing disparities in the age-related incidences of colon and rectal cancers in the United States, 1975-2010. JAMA Surg. 2015 Jan;150(1):17-22. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2014.1756.
Godman, H. (2015) Vegetarian diet linked to lower colon cancer risk. Harvard Health Publishing.
<https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vegetarian-diet-linked-to-lower-colon-cancer-risk-201503117785> accessed 12 Dec 2020.
(n.d.) Understanding Your Pathology Report: Colon Polyps (Sessile or Traditional Serrated Adenomas). American Cancer Society. <https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/tests/understanding-your-pathology-report/colon-pathology/colon-polyps-sessile-or-traditional-serrated-adenomas.html> accessed 12 Dec 2020
Vuik FE, Nieuwenburg SA, Bardou M, et al Increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults in Europe over the last 25 years Gut 2019;68:1820-1826.
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