Early screening helping colorectal cancer recovery rates
The five-year survival rate of patients with colorectal cancer is now 71 percent at Shanghai Cancer Center, meeting the level of developed countries, doctors told a conference in the city on Saturday.
The hospital said its number of colorectal cancer patients is growing 17 percent a year. It conducted 50,000 outpatient services for colorectal cancer last year and 2,488 surgeries.
But lifestyle is important.
“Colorectal cancer is a disease related with lifestyle and can be controlled through early detection and early treatment,” said Dr Cai Sanjun from the Shanghai Cancer Center.
“In the United States, the incidence of colorectal cancer has been dropping by 3 percent annually in the past 20 years while the morality is also dropping by 2 to 3 percent every year.
"Proper life style and early screening and treatment are the key.”
The hospital has tried community-based screening in Qibao, Minhang District, and achieved good results. Residents were screened for fecal occult blood tests and those detected with problems were advised to get a colonoscopy check.
But only 30 to 40 percent of people do so. Some patients did not follow up out of fear.
While focusing on colorectal cancer treatment, doctors work harder for more methods for early screening. The hospital conducted genetic checks for colorectal cancer patients and found a gene has a high sensitivity for the cancer and can be used for a target for colorectal cancer screening through a simple blood check.
“Biological markers in blood and excrement can help the development of early screening methods for colorectal cancer in the future and encourage more people with high risk to receive the screening for early cancer detection,” said Dr Xu Ye from Shanghai Cancer Center.
Dr Xu Ye (Left) from the Shanghai Cancer Center during a colorectal cancer surgery.
