Health care
Colon cancer rates up for young adults
Overdoses top cause of accidental deaths Weeks after a mass overdose across Austin, a Travis County Medical Examiner report detailed a 17% increase in accidental overdose deaths for 2023. Overdose deaths involving opioids fell by 3.82% nationally in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The gist Overdoses remain the No. 1 cause of accidental deaths in the county, according to the report, while guns are the leading cause of nonaccidental deaths. Despite a higher rate of accidental fentan- yl-related deaths, officials said they’re not increasing as much as in past years. Fatal drug overdoses continue to dispropor- tionately affect Black and brown communi- ties, County Judge Andy Brown said.
Symptoms of colorectal cancer include:
Abdominal pain Bloating Weight loss
Changes in bowel movements Blood in stool
Due to changes in lifestyle and a greater empha- sis on screenings, the overall rate of people in the U.S. being diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer has dropped each year since the 1980s, according to the American Cancer Society. Despite the overall decrease, colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men under age 50 and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in women under age 50, according to a 2024 report by ACS. What you need to know As colorectal cancer is often preventable or treatable through early detection, screenings are recommended. Colorectal cancer is often detected in younger patients in the later stages once more aggressive tumors have formed, said Dr. Thiru Lakshman, a surgeon at Texas Colon & Rectal Specialists.
Factors that may prevent colorectal cancer from developing include:
Eating a high-fiber diet with fruits and
Not smoking Avoiding or limiting alcohol consumption Avoiding red meats
vegetables Exercising
Maintaining a normal weight
SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE, TEXAS ONCOLOGY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
While doctors are unsure of why younger people are developing this type of cancer, it could be due to environmental factors such as diet, he said. Other inequities in the healthcare system, socioeconomic factors and a lack of health care insurance are often barriers for screenings.
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