March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. How to get involved and show your support?

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Clinicubes is getting involved in putting more focus on the problem. The importance of the topic is brought about by the fact that this type of neoplasm is the second highest cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. alone. Nevertheless, it is not as widely talked about as other forms of cancer, and more than 50,000 people annually will die from the avoidable disease. The aim of the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is to educate the public about risk factors and preventative measures, symptoms and treatments of the malady. The best medicine is prevention, so one could get involved by simply being aware about the risk factors and symptoms, and speaking openly about the topic.

Know the Risk Factors

The first risk factor is age. The risk of developing the disease grows after 50 years of age. This is the reason why it is obligatory for people who are older, to have the so called “colon cancer screenings” done annually.

Which are the other colorectal cancer risk factors?

• Sedimentary lifestyle. The recommendations here include exercises at least three times a week, or daily walks, when you can make at least 10000 steps. There are a lot of useful apps to help you measure them.
• Unhealthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight with healthy diet is a major factor in keeping your guts “happy” and free of any unwanted processes.
• Alcohol. Besides cirrhosis and liver cancer, alcohol is also associated with colon cancer. Drinking alcohol in excess therefore might not only harm your liver, but also your bowel.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking has been regarded as the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. It is also linked to colorectal cancer.

Know the Symptoms

Very characteristic about the ailment, is that there are no “red flag” symptoms. This is why screenings are important. However, there might be warning signs:

• Excessive constipation or diarrhea, or alternation between both symptoms.
• Rectal bleeding.
• Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting.
• Varied stool color.
• Iron or/and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Remember to immediately go to the doctor, in case you experience any of these symptoms.

Know how you can get involved

Spreading awareness is easy if the risk factors and symptoms of the disease are known. Knowing what you can do for prevention, puts you a step forward. For example, knowing that age of 50 and above is a major risk factor alone, you could get informed about available screenings for you or your relatives. What is more, physical activity and healthy are huge prevention factors. Quitting the bad habits (like smoking and/or alcohol) will also keep your guts safer.

Follow us this month to stay informed about the topic and educate yourself.

Clinicubes is getting involved in the month of colorectal cancer awareness. As a supporting system in any clinical trial, Clinicubes CTMS contributes for the faster development of medicines and course of research. The management system is vital for the integration of the entire data of any clinical trial and the successful results in any new treatment. Clinicubes is effective and lightweight, systematized, well-built and easy-to-use. It provides an easy way for collecting, retaining and archiving patient and scientific information. Clinical research professionals can track deadlines, schedule visitations and monitor treatment progress. The system also contributes for increasing the productivity of the clinical research site and the number of successfully completed trials.

Get in touch and take advantage of what our clinical trial management system offers.

You can find a PDF version of this article here: Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month – Risk Factors & Symptoms