Colon cancer second most prevalent type in Jordan — expert

AMMAN — Colon cancer is the second most prevalent type of cancer in Jordan, comprising 11 per cent of all registered cancer cases, a health expert said on Sunday.

Colon cancer is second only to breast cancer, which constitutes 20 per cent of registered cancer cases in the country, said Sana Al Sukhun, president of the Jordan Oncology Society.

There were 567 cases of diagnosed colon cancer in 2012, according to official figures cited by Sukhun, who is a consultant in medical oncology and haematology. 

She noted that colon cancer rates among men and women are almost similar.

Since early detection increases recovery rates in 90 per cent of the cases, the society, which is part of the Jordan Medical Association, has started an awareness campaign on the disease across the country.

The campaign focuses on the role of early diagnosis, exercise, healthy eating habits and quitting tobacco products in preventing colon cancer, Sukhun told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

In addition, the medical expert pointed out that obesity and the excessive consumption of red and preserved meat are risk factors.

The awareness campaign includes putting up promotional material and holding educational lectures for doctors and the public, she noted.

"Early detection, which should normally start at the age of 50, can mostly cure colon cancer through surgical intervention, without the need for chemotherapy," Sukhun highlighted.

Those who do not have a family history in colon cancer should undergo a colon endoscopy every 10 years, a process that will detect any bumps that could become cancerous.

But people with a family history in the disease are urged to undergo the endoscopy 10 years before the age of the youngest colon cancer case registered in the family, Sukhun added, noting that hereditary factors account for 5 to 10 per cent of the cases only. 

In Jordan, colon cancer patients are 60 years old in average, while the international average is 67-68 years.

The awareness campaign will continue until the end of March and is a continuation of a previous campaign during February that focused on the individuals' role in fighting cancer.