March brings warmer days, the vibrant colours of Holi, and an important reminder for our health: it’s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. This is a time dedicated to increasing understanding, promoting prevention, and encouraging early detection of a cancer that affects the large intestine (colon) and rectum. For the residents of Varanasi and nearby areas of Purvanchal, Uttar Pradesh, awareness is the first step towards safeguarding their health against this disease.

Upkar Cancer Hospital, Varanasi, is leading the charge in providing expert cancer care in the region. Dr. Swapnil Patel, a renowned cancer surgeon, directs the hospital. With valuable experience, including a past role as an Associate Professor at the Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Centre (MPMMCC) / Tata Memorial Centre right here in Varanasi, Dr. Patel and his team emphasize that knowledge and timely action are crucial in the fight against colorectal cancer.

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer often starts silently. It typically begins as small growths called polyps on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. While initially benign, some polyps can transform into cancer over several years. This slow progression offers a significant window for detection and even prevention through screening – a key message championed by healthcare professionals this month.

Why Focus on Colorectal Cancer in Varanasi?

Across India, including Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, changing lifestyles, dietary habits, and potentially lower rates of routine screening contribute to the incidence of colorectal cancer. Raising awareness within our local community empowers individuals to recognize potential symptoms, understand their personal risk, and take proactive steps towards early detection. Facilities like Upkar Cancer Hospital, Varanasi are dedicated resources for information, screening, and advanced treatment.

Recognizing Potential Warning Signs

While early-stage colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms, it’s crucial to be aware of potential indicators as the disease progresses. Consulting a doctor if you experience any of the following persistent symptoms is vital:

• Changes in Bowel Habits: Persistent diarrhoea, constipation, or a noticeable change in stool consistency or shape (e.g., becoming narrower) lasting more than a few weeks.

• Blood in Stool or Rectal Bleeding: This might appear as bright red blood streaks, dark, tar-like stools, or blood mixed within the stool. It should never be ignored or automatically dismissed as haemorrhoids.

• Ongoing Abdominal Discomfort: Persistent cramps, gas pains, bloating, or a feeling that the bowel doesn’t empty completely.

• Unexplained Weight Loss: Significant weight loss without dieting or increased activity.

• Persistent Fatigue or Weakness: Often related to anaemia caused by chronic, unnoticed blood loss from the tumour.

Experiencing these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean cancer, but they absolutely warrant a medical evaluation. Seeking timely advice from a specialist, such as an experienced cancer surgeon in Varanasi, ensures proper diagnosis and management.

Understanding Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors

Certain factors can increase an individual’s likelihood of developing colorectal cancer:

• Age: Risk increases significantly after age 50, although diagnoses in younger adults are becoming more common.

• Personal History: Prior colorectal cancer or specific types of polyps.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Long-term conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

• Family History: Having first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) diagnosed with colorectal cancer or polyps.

• Lifestyle: Diets low in fibre and high in red/processed meats, physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption.

• Inherited Genetic Syndromes: Conditions like Lynch syndrome or Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) carry a much higher risk.

The Life-Saving Power of Screening

The most critical takeaway during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is the importance of screening. Screening tests can detect colorectal cancer early, often before any symptoms appear, when treatment is most effective. Crucially, screening can also find and allow for the removal of precancerous polyps, preventing cancer from developing in the first place.

The colonoscopy is considered the gold standard screening method. It allows for a direct visual examination of the entire colon and rectum, enabling the detection and removal of polyps during the procedure.

Current guidelines generally recommend that average-risk individuals begin screening at age 45. Those with higher risk factors may need to start earlier. Discussing your personal risk and appropriate screening schedule with your doctor or a specialist at a dedicated centre like Upkar Cancer Hospital, Varanasi, is essential.

Advanced Colorectal Cancer Treatment Options in Varanasi

Should a diagnosis of colorectal cancer occur, effective treatment options are available locally. Surgery is often a cornerstone of treatment, especially for localized disease. As an expert cancer surgeon in Varanasi, Dr. Swapnil Patel performs procedures aimed at completely removing the tumour and affected lymph nodes, often utilizing minimally invasive techniques for faster patient recovery.

Comprehensive treatment plans are tailored to each individual and may involve a combination of approaches:

• Surgery: Removal of the cancerous section of the colon/rectum.

• Chemotherapy: Drugs to kill cancer cells, used before or after surgery, or for advanced stages.

• Radiation Therapy: High-energy rays targeting cancer cells, frequently used for rectal cancer.

• Targeted Therapy: Medications attacking specific molecular targets on cancer cells.

• Immunotherapy: Harnessing the patient’s immune system to fight cancer.

At Upkar Cancer Hospital, Varanasi, a multidisciplinary team collaborates to provide patient-centred care, drawing on extensive experience, including Dr. Patel’s background from the Mahamana (Tata) Cancer Hospital in Varanasi, ensuring patients receive comprehensive and advanced treatment strategies.

Don’t let colorectal cancer hide in the shadows. Early detection and expert care, readily available here in Varanasi, can make all the difference. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to healthcare professionals for guidance.