Colorectal Cancer Curable and Preventable.

Roger J Leicester OBE, FRCS
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Director of Endoscopy St. George’s Hospital, London UK
Director of St. George’s National Endoscopy Training Centre,
Director of SW London Bowel Cancer Screening Centre

‘The incidence of colorectal cancer in Europe is more than 280,000 new cases per year and is the second commonest cause of death from malignant disease, with 140,00 dying from the disease. Epidemiological and animal evidence suggests a strong correlation with Western diet and the consumption of animal fat. It is therefore a disease which could be affected by dietary modification and perhaps chemoprevention.
Early stage colorectal cancer is curable in up to 90% of cases, yet 5 year survival remains at around 50%. Better diagnosis and screening will therefore improve survival from this common condition. Furthermore, as 90% of cancers develop in benign adenomatous polyps, detection and removal of these reduces the incidence.’