My Mum and I both have Celiac Disease. I'm not worried for myself (I'm 21 and since being on a gluten free diet I've had 95% improvement), but my Mum is still unwell.She's 51, very tiny and underweight. I don't think she sticks to her gluten free diet as well as she should. She's still have vitamin deficiencies (B12 and iron). She said that there's blood in bowel movements, often diarrhea. Her doctor knows and I think she's been sent to have a colonoscopy, but I'm not sure because it's not a topic that's easy to talk about!
So, does anyone know if my Mum is at an increased risk of bowel cancer?
I know some cancers can easily be treated and have a high rate of survival, is bowel cancer one of them?
My uncle (who's a urologist and has Celiac Disease) was mentioning the high rates of bowel cancer in our country the other day. Are the rates higher because people don't have the testing done? Or because the symptoms are silent?
Thank you.
It's gluten, not just wheat.
slxpluvs - Cancer rates are higher in celiac because the intestines get damaged repeatedly by wheat.
ReplyDeleteDenisedds - Celiac disease is a risk factor for colon cancer, but it doesn’t mean that it will happen or that it is common. Most people with colon cancer do not have celiac disease.
ReplyDeleteColonoscopies are used as a screening exam for colon cancer and everyone regardless of celiac disease or not is supposed to get one at age 50.
Colon cancer can be cured on colonoscopy without any other treatment if it is caught early enough, but when it is caught late it is deadly.
Your mom needs to follow her doctor’s recommendations on how often she should be followed and they will base this on what is seen on colonoscopy.