UT MD Anderson Patient: Colorectal Cancer Not Just For Those 50 and Older

When Dessa Ledet repeatedly experienced pain on the right of her body, she never dreamed she would hear the words "you have cancer" when she woke up from a colonoscopy. In fact, she didn't believe that almost three years after her diagnosis she would run in MD Anderson's seventh annual Sprint for Colorectal Oncology Prevention and Education (SCOPE) Run on Saturday, March 24.

Her new reality as a cancer survivor has her gearing up for the SCOPE Run - organized by Cathy Eng, M.D., associate professor in MD Anderson's Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, and Kimberly Tripp, administrative director of Acute Care Services, to help raise awareness about colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer continues to be the second-deadliest cancer worldwide. More than 140,000 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year alone. However, not all of the cases will be adults 50 and older, which is the general age for this type of cancer.

Although colorectal cancer may result from lifestyle habits and aging, a small percentage is associated with genetic instability. "A screening colonoscopy is effective at decreasing the chance of dying from colorectal cancer," said Eng. "It is also important to know the risks associated with the disease and recognize symptoms so it can be diagnosed in its earliest stages." To prevent the disease, people are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles including a well-balanced diet and exercise, and begin screening at age 50.

Ledet shares that her grandmother, a heavy smoker, recently died of lung cancer but there is no other history of cancer in her family. As a non-smoker and exercise enthusiast, Ledet took pride in being physically fit. She exercised three to five times a week, and for the most part, tried to eat healthy, well-balanced meals and limit alcohol consumption.

What is colorectal cancer? Colorectal cancer develops in the colon or the rectum. The colon and rectum are parts of the digestive system, also called the gastrointestinal, or GI, system. The digestive system processes food for energy and rids the body of solid waste (fecal matter or stool).

After food is chewed and swallowed, it travels through the esophagus to the stomach. There it is partially broken down and sent to the small intestine, where digestion continues and most of the nutrients are absorbed. The word "small" refers to the diameter of the small intestine, which is smaller than that of the large intestine. The small intestine is actually the longest part of the digestive system – about 20 feet in length. Cancer occurs infrequently in the small intestine.

The small intestine joins the large intestine in the lower right abdomen. The small and large intestine are sometimes called the small and large bowel. The first and longest part of the large intestine is the colon, a muscular tube about 5 feet long. Water and mineral nutrients are absorbed from the food matter in the colon. Waste (feces) left from this process passes into the rectum, the final 6 inches of the large intestine, and is then expelled from the anus.