CANSA asks 'Is your colon healthy'? 2022

IS YOUR COLON HEALTHY?
Lowering the Risk for Colorectal Cancer
www.cansa.org.za | Toll free 0800 22 66 22
072 197 9305
071 867 3530
English, Afrikaans
Xhosa, Zulu,
Sotho, Siswati Apr 2022

IS YOUR COLON HEALTHY?
• CANSA promotes living an active balanced lifestyle and
promotes that certain lifestyle changes can lower the risk
of cancer
• Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in men
(following prostate cancer) and the third most common in
women (following breast and cervical cancer)
• 1 in 77 males and 1 in 132 females diagnosed according to National Cancer Register (2019)
• There is evidence of many more younger individuals being diagnosed with colorectal cancer
• In partnership with Medtronic, CANSA released a colorectal awareness VIDEO featuring
‘Sizwe and Crystal’ – WATCH: https://youtu.be/zq8xHbvFR4E
Watch video at
https://youtu.be/zq8xHbvFR4E

Colin the Colon Tunnel
• Unique to the campaign is a large ‘Colin the Colon Tunnel’ inflatable
2x3m tunnel, which the public can walk through
• ‘Colin’ moves around at specific CANSA events and can be booked by
schools / workplaces / lifestyle events
• CANSA staff and volunteers are at the tunnel to conduct body mass
index (BMI – height and weight) and waist circumference
measurements. We are also offering a CANSA Lifestyle Risk
Assessment that can help identify areas of health risks
• Colin may be viewed inside and out at various CANSA events and
may even be requested to be on display at wellness events by the
public, just email us on info@cansa.org.za

What is Colorectal Cancer?
• Colorectal cancer occurs in the colon and
rectum. Sometimes it is called colon
cancer, for short
• The colon is also known as the large
intestine or large bowel
• The rectum is the passageway that
connects the colon to the anus

What is Colorectal Cancer?
It’s important that patients be screened, diagnosed and treated while the cancer
is still at the early stages

Signs and Symptoms
Change in bowel habits,
including diarrhoea and
constipation or both
Rectal bleeding or
blood in stools
Persistent abdominal discomfort,
such as cramps, gas or abdominal
(belly) pain or a feeling that the
bowel does not empty completely

Weakness or fatigue
Colorectal cancers can often bleed
into the digestive tract. Sometimes
the blood can be seen in the stool or
make it look darker, but often the
stool looks normal
Unexplained weight loss
Note: Many people with colorectal cancer experience no symptoms in the
early stages of the disease. When appearing, symptoms may vary
Signs and Symptoms

Lifestyle Risk Factors that could be modified
• Lack of regular exercise
• Low fruit / vegetable intake
• Low fibre and high fat diet
• Obesity
• Alcohol abuse
• Tobacco use
• Poor oral hygiene

Genetic and Other Risk Factors
Genetic:
• Hereditary Syndromes such as Lynch Syndrome
• Personal or family history of colorectal cancer or
polyps
Other:
• Old age
• Type 2 diabetes
• Inflammatory bowel disease

Testing and Screening
• People with familial risk factors for colorectal cancer may need earlier
(before age 50) or more frequent testing. Genetic testing in suspected
familial cases may identify candidates for secondary prevention
• Screening for high risk individuals is more likely to be done using a
colonoscopy
• Testing for occult blood (not visibly apparent) in the stool (faeces)
• When a health care provider tests stool with a faecal occult blood test
they are often looking for the presence of microscopic occult blood in
the faeces, which may be a sign of a growth, inflammation or bleeding
in the digestive system
• CANSA offers faecal occult home testing kits to buy at CANSA Care
Centres

Testing and Screening
Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer may include:
• Obtaining a history from the patient
• A physical examination
• A digital rectal examination
• The patient may then be referred for further examination - if the diagnosis is uncertain or if
symptoms suggest colorectal cancer. Two tests may also be used to confirm a diagnosis of
bowel cancer:
• Sigmoidoscopy - a device called a sigmoidoscope is used, which is a thin, flexible tube attached
to a small camera and light. A sigmoidoscopy is not usually painful, but can feel uncomfortable;
most people go home after the examination has been completed
• Colonoscopy - it is similar to a sigmoidoscopy except a longer tube, called a colonoscope, is
used to examine the entire large bowel

Maintain a healthy weight
• Step 1 – Measure your weight and height
• Step 2 – Determine your Body Mass Index (BMI) – an
estimate of the total amount of body fat and is dependent on a
ratio of height to weight.
• Adults (20 years and over) should aim to fall somewhere in the BMI
healthy weight range of 20 -25.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) can be used to indicate if you are overweight,
obese, underweight or normal.
• The formula for BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by the square
of your height in metres (kg/m2)
• Step 3 – Measure your waist circumference - now believed to
be a much more accurate measure of future health risk than BMI
alone. Carrying too much fat around your middle is associated
with an increased risk of disease
Waist circumference
indicating increased
risk:
Women: more than
80 cm
Men: more than
94 cm

Get and stay physically active
• Physical activity does not
have to be expensive or
difficult. You can walk around
the block or in a local park.
You can ride a bike or dance
with your friends in your
lounge
• Choose activities that you
enjoy. This way you will be
more likely to continue
• As long as it makes your
heart beat faster and your
lungs breathe more deeply,
you will get the benefits
Exercise
regularly.
Aim for at least
30min moderate
to vigorous
activity daily

Make smart food choices
• Factors that have been associated with a decrease in the incidence of
colorectal cancer include regular physical activity, diet rich in fruits and
vegetables, high fibre diet, folate rich diet, Calcium, dairy products,
Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, magnesium intake, fish consumption and garlic
• Balance is the key to getting it right. We all need to provide our bodies
with the energy and nutrients required to function well and feel great
• That means eating a wide variety of foods in the right ratio, so that
over time we get all the nutrients we need to keep ourselves healthy
• All the food we eat can be divided into five groups. A healthy diet
means that you eat the right balance of these groups

Starchy food - healthier options include:
• Whole grain bread
• Whole wheat pasta (durum wheat)
• Whole grain biscuits
• Long grain rice
(e.g. Basmati/white/brown)
• Potatoes and sweet potato
• Pumpkin or butternut
• Peas
• Oats and oat bran
• Mealies / corn on the cob
• Maizemeal
• Whole grains and beans are
high in fibre which is protective
against colorectal cancer
(lentils, beans, oats, black rice,
barley, farro, wild rice, quinoa,
etc.)
• These foods contain many
other substances that have
been linked to lower cancer
risk. Hence experts suggesting
increasing fibre intake from
whole foods rather than
supplements

Fruits and Vegetables
• Five servings of a wide variety of fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables (preferably grown locally
and in season) should be eaten every day
• Aim for as many different colours each week (vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cauliflower,
cabbage, marrows, salad greens, tomatoes, onions, eggplant and carrots offer a variety of
colours)
• All varieties of vegetables can lower the cancer risk
• Research now shows that garlic is helpful in lowering of
colorectal cancer risk so be sure to include it in your meals daily
• Whole fruit gives you the most benefits
• Dried fruit (any, but limit quantities)
• Fresh fruit juice (100% pure/unsweetened), limit to 1 glass per day
diluted with water 50:50

Meat, chicken, fish, eggs and soya (rich in protein)
• Protein should be included in smaller amounts than starchy
foods and fruit and vegetables
• A serving is usually the size of the palm of your hand and
the same thickness as your hand
• Try to include oily fish twice a week and aim for more
vegetarian protein options
• Avoid processed meat
• Try to include legumes and/or
soya in dishes at least once or
twice a week
• They are low in fat, high in dietary
fibre, a source of plant protein and
economical
• Oily fish varieties (e.g. salmon,
trout, pilchards, trout, snoek /
sardines)
• Eggs
• Chicken breasts (skinless)
• Lean beef (e.g. beef stroganoff,
beef mince, steaks or schnitzel
without any visible fat)
• Ostrich meat

Dairy
• Milk (low fat or fat free varieties)
• Yoghurt (2%, low fat or fat free varieties)
• Cheese, opt for unprocessed low and medium
fat; soft and hard cheeses like cottage cheese,
ricotta, feta, mozzarella and edam
Treats
• Foods such as sugar (table sugar, white or
brown or yellow), sweets (jelly sweets,
lollipops), cakes, biscuits, pastries, desserts,
sugary fizzy drinks and syrup are high in
sugar and should be used sparingly. Your
trolley should contain very few of these
foods
• Alcohol turns into cancer causing
compounds in the body. These compounds
can also damage the cell lining of the colon.
Avoid alcohol if possible

Fats and Oils
• Fats should be used sparingly. Choose soft tub margarine that is either low or
medium fat and higher in unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated)
• For the most benefit, buy extra virgin olive oil to use sparingly as a salad dressing as
opposed to cooking with it. Should you need to ‘flash fry’ food use
cooking spray or use canola oil. Invest in a good non-stick frying pan
• Check the fat levels in sauces that you buy for pastas or
other dishes. Cream-based sauces tend to be quite high
in fat so rather choose tomato-based ones
• Good fats to include are:
• Vegetable oils (e.g. Extra virgin
olive, canola seed, grapeseed
and sunflower seed oils)
• Mixed nuts and seeds
• Nut butters
• Avocado

Cooking Methods
The best cooking methods are those that use the least amount of oil and
maximise nutrient retention by not overcooking the food.
The following cooking methods are healthier options:
• Steaming
• Stir-frying (using a little bit of oil)
• Grilling / Baking
• Microwaving / Boiling
• Dry frying (using a small amount of spray oil if necessary)
• Pressure cooking

Are you choosing foods from each food group, each day?
• Balancing your diet will get easier the more
you do it. To help you to see the balance
between the five food groups, see the plate
below. How are you doing?
• Good nutrition is not just a matter of selecting
the ‘right’ foods to eat. It’s also important to
prepare these foods in ways that will maintain
their nutritional benefits
• Aim to eat regularly throughout the day for
sustained energy levels

How CANSA is Fighting Colorectal Cancer
• CANSA's lifestyle risk assessment tool
• Faecal occult home testing kits available for
purchase at CANSA Care Centres
• Stoma and Tele Stoma support services
• Join your local CANSA support group:
www.cansa.org.za/cancer-counselling/
• Join our Facebook community of survivors
and caregivers:
• @CANSA Survivors - Champions of Hope
• @CANSA Caring for the Caregivers
• iSurvivor email-based support
programme (isurvivor.org.za)
• Need help to quit smoking?
eKick Butt programme (ekickbutt.org.za)
• Assistive devices and medical loan equipment
• Cancer risk reduction screenings
• CANSA Care Homes
• Other screening services
• Educational campaigns
• Information Service (Mon-Fri, 08:00-16:30):
• Toll Free from landlines on 0800 22 66 22
• Email: info@cansa.org.za
• WhatsApp: 072 197 9305 (English and Afrikaans)
• WhatsApp: 071 867 3530 (Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Siswati)

What can you do to help?
Help CANSA expand its cancer education and screening
programmes, please consider making a donation at any
of our CANSA Care Centres country-wide
or Online at
http://www.cansa.org.za/personal-donation-options/
or Make a donation via SnapScan
or Zapper on your smartphone:

Disclaimer
Whilst the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has taken every precaution in compiling this
presentation, neither it, nor any contributor(s) to this presentation can be held responsible for any action (or
the lack thereof) taken by any person or organisation wherever they shall be based, as a result, direct or
otherwise, of information contained in, or accessed through, this presentation.

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