Jessyanne Bezerra
news reporter
By 2025, it is estimated that bowel cancer will exceed 45 thousand cases in Brazil. The data are from the National Cancer Institute (Inca) and warn of the high incidence of the disease in the country. In 2023, the Ministry of Health estimated 570 cases of the disease in Rio Grande do Norte, being more frequent in women.
Bowel cancer, also called colorectal or colon and rectal cancer, are tumors that begin in the large intestine, colon, and rectum (final 15-12cm of the intestine, immediately before the anus). This disease has a strong impact on nutrition, as it directly affects one of the organs of the digestive system.
Oncologist Dr.Recidia Rayane Fernandes clarified that this cancer can arise due to pre-malignant lesions, which are some types of polyps that tend to grow in the colon. “It is a disease that can spread, via the lymphatic route, via the blood, thus causing metastases. When it is an injury discovered in the early stages, treatment will mainly be based on surgery. And there is a very high chance of cure, more than 90%, for the earliest stages”, informed the doctor.
Without considering non-melanoma skin tumors, colon and rectal cancer rank third among the most common types of cancer in Brazil. For doctor Juliana Florinda Rêgo, coordinator of Oncology at the Onofre Lopes University Hospital (Huol-UFRN), linked to the Ebserh Network, the disease has an evolutionary nature that causes damage to other parts of the body, if not treated. “The greatest danger of colorectal cancer is the emergence of metastases in various organs that no longer make it possible to cure the disease. When treating the disease that is still localized, the two biggest risks are bleeding from the tumor and intestinal obstruction caused by it”, warned the oncologist.
In this oncological disease, in addition to affecting the large intestine, there is also the possibility of the disease developing and affecting the rectum. Due to the chance of the disease getting worse, early diagnosis becomes the main factor in saving lives. “Treatment depends on the stage at which the disease is diagnosed. If it is an early stage, surgery is recommended and, in some cases, adjuvant (complementary) chemotherapy is performed afterwards.
In cases of rectal tumors, it may be necessary to undergo chemotherapy before surgery, as well as radiotherapy. When the disease is already diagnosed with metastasis, the recommended treatment is chemotherapy. In some cases, depending on the characteristics of the tumor and the patient, more specific drugs targeted at the tumor and immunotherapy can be combined”, stated the oncology coordinator at Huol-UFRN.
According to INCA, the estimated risk of developing this type of cancer is 21.10 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with 21,970 cases among men and 23,660 cases among women. In RN, the incidence rate of this disease, in values per 100 thousand inhabitants, was 15.62 in men and 16.46 in women, in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Also according to the federal ministry, when analyzing the estimated incidence rate of colorectal cancer in Natal, the values increase. In 2023, in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, the crude incidence rate was 24.03 for men and 26.06 for women, with an estimated total of 230 cases. “From the age of 45-50 we observe that the incidence of colorectal cancer begins to increase”, said doctor Juliana Rêgo.
One of the methods of preventing bowel tumors is screening. According to Dr. Recidia Fernandes, this technique serves as an assessment for asymptomatic people, increasing the possibility of a cure due to early diagnosis. “It is carried out using the Colonoscopy exam, which is recommended for all people aged 45 and over. Because from this age onwards, there is a higher incidence of polyps, which are lesions that can develop into a tumor”, stated the doctor.
Oncologist Recidia Fernandes also clarifies that the main symptoms of the disease are the presence of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, weight loss, change in bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation.
Inca also estimates that colorectal cancer affects around 50 thousand people per year in Brazil. According to the institute, in addition to the age group, people who have excess body weight and an unhealthy diet are also at risk of developing the disease. “The ways to prevent cancer, in general, are carrying out physical activity, avoiding obesity, trying to have a healthy diet, increasing fiber consumption, avoiding the consumption of ultra-processed, industrialized, smoked foods and other foods. smoking”, said Dr Ricidia Fernandes.
Another point that doctor Juliana Rêgo lists in prevention habits is the excessive consumption of red meat (WHO recommends that the weekly consumption of red meat be up to 400-500g). For the oncologist, eating fruits and vegetables is ideal to prevent the development of bowel cancer.
