The dangerous advance of colon cancer in Mexico

Colon cancer is a public health problem in Mexico. Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial to preventing this disease from becoming fatal. Here are some facts about the disease in Mexico:

The Mexican Social Security Institute promotes among its beneficiaries the adoption of healthy lifestyles, which allows reducing factors that increase the possibility of suffering from colon cancer , among them Avoid eating processed red meats such as ham, sausage, or bacon daily; prevent obesity, particularly in middle and old age; diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle, with a daily exercise routine. .

Dr. Wendy Elizabeth Flores Delgado, coordinator of Medical Programs at the Oncology Care Coordination, explained that there are other factors that cannot be modified and that should alert a person to the greater probability of developing colon cancer, such as hereditary history, and familial hereditary syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis and Lynch syndrome , for whom it is suggested that they see their doctor and have a follow-up before the age of 40.

"If you have a first-degree relative (father, son or brother), the chances of suffering from it increase two to four times more. , and this increases exponentially If there are two first-degree relatives, regardless of age, or if a first-degree relative is diagnosed before the age of 50. , he stressed.

He emphasized that timely diagnosis is essential, since in the early or initial stage, Five-year survival rate after starting treatment reaches up to 93 percent , compared to the time when there is metastasis (spread) of the tumor to other organs, it is reduced to only 10 percent.

Dr. Flores Delgado highlighted that It is the third most common cancer in the Mexican population and affects more men than women. Between January and November 2022, the Institute provided 16,796 Family Medicine consultations, more than 50,000 Specialty consultations, and 4,965 Emergency consultations.

He added that an average of 107,000 cases of colon cancer and 46,000 cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year; in Mexico, around 15,000 cases of colorectal cancer are detected .

He explained that People with colon tumors may experience symptoms such as changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation, or alternating between the two; presence of mucus or blood in stool, pelvic or abdominal pain, weight loss, or anemia due to bleeding. In these cases, it is urgent that you seek medical attention.

Regarding treatment, the Medical Programs Coordinator indicated that multidisciplinary care is provided by specialists in Surgical Oncology, Medical Oncology, and Radiation Oncology. The primary treatment is surgical, and based on the pathology findings, the patient may require adjuvant therapy such as chemotherapy. In advanced stages, chemotherapy is supplemented with monoclonal antibody-based therapy.

With information from the IMSS

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