With incidence rates of colorectal cancer being the highest among all cancers in Taiwan, a doctor at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital is urging the public to get examined every two years, especially people older than 50.
Citing a recent case, the hospital said a woman surnamed Chang, who is in her 50s, was found with occult blood in her stool when she underwent four cancer screening tests at the hospital in October last year.
It said she failed to return for follow-up examinations.
After receiving numerous calls from the hospital and a local public health center, the woman returned for a colonoscopy in March and was diagnosed with a 0.8cm colorectal polyp and stage-one colorectal cancer.
Chen Chih-dao (陳志道), a physician at the hospital’s Department of Family Medicine, said based on statistics from the Health Promotion Administration, one person in Taiwan is diagnosed with cancer every 5 minutes, 26 seconds, and colorectal cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in the nation.
He said patients rarely recognize any symptoms in the first stage of colorectal cancer, and the cancer can develop into stage two or three before blood in stools, irregular weight loss or other symptoms are noticed.
The majority of colorectal cancer cases begin with a growing colorectal polyp, but symptoms are difficult to notice when the size of the polyp is less than 1cm, Chen said.
He said regular exercise and eating fruit and vegetables can help prevent colorectal cancer, but it is even more important to get a screening and a fecal occult blood test at least once every two years, especially for people older than 50.
The percentage of Taiwanese who seek out these medical tests is low compared with other countries, including the US and Canada, he said, adding that the public should not be afraid to face cancer screening, because the earlier the cancer is detected, the more effective treatment can be.
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