According to Webda, a MUMS Associate Professor said, “If detected at an early stage, cancer can be cured, and in most cases it is also preventable by averting risk factors.”

“Colon (large intestine) cancer is the 5th highest prevalent cancer in Razavi Khorasan province. Screening is recommended for this type of cancer and it can be curable if diagnosed early enough,” said Dr. Abolghasem Allahyari at the Conference on New Trends in Colon Cancer.

He added, “About 25 percent of colon cancer cases are affected by family factors and 10 percent are inherited, so first-degree relatives should be more cautious when a family member is diagnosed with colon cancer. Obesity, excessive intake of fat and red meat, smoking, and drinking alcohol are some of the risk factors associated with colon cancer which can be averted with regular exercise, weight loss, replacing red meat with white, adding fiber and vegetables to the diet, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.”

“Observation of blood in feces, hemorrhoids, anal fissure, sudden changes in defecation habits, and pain in the lower abdomen are among the warning signs of colon cancer which should be examined by a physician. All people above 50 are advised to have a feces occult blood test every 10 years. Almost 90 thousand patients are annually diagnosed with cancer in Iran and it is the third leading cause of death in the country. However, cancer can be cured if detected at an early stage, and in most cases it is preventable by avoiding its risk factors,” he said.

The one-day Conference on New Trends in Colon Cancer was held this Friday with participation of experts and physicians of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, with topics including New Trends in Epidemiology of Colon Cancer, New Trends in Colon Cancer Pathology and Biobanking, New Trends in Molecular Pathology of Colon Cancer, New Trends in Metastatic Colon Cancer Surgery, New Trends in Systemic Therapy in Metastatic Colon Cancer, New Trends in Systemic Therapy in Non-metastatic Colon Cancer, New Trends in Target Therapy of Colon Cancer, PET-CT in Colon Cancer Management, Systemic Treatment, Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colon Cancer, Colon Cancer Screening, New Trends in Nonmetastatic Colon Cancer Surgery, and Endoscopic Procedures for Management of Neoplastic Lesions.