Orlando doctor explains new studies highlighting deadly toll of colon cancer
Orlando Health Colon & Rectal Institute surgeon., Dr. Antonio Caycedo, discusses new findings, signs, symptoms and how to prioritize health
WE’RE BACK THIS MORNING WITH A HEALTH ALERT. IT’S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT. TWO NEW STUDIES ARE HIGHLIGHTING THE DEADLY TOLL OF COLON CANCER. ONE FINDS THAT IT’S THE LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH FOR PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN 50. STAGGERING HERE A SECOND COLON CANCER TO ALCOHOL USE. AND WE’RE BRINGING IN AN EXPERT ORLANDO HEALTH SURGEON, DOCTOR ANTONIO CAICEDO. GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING, DOCTOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT AS WE PRIORITIZE OUR HEALTH UNDER 50 SO, SO OFTEN. AND I’M GETTING CLOSE TO 50 TURNING 49 THIS YEAR. BUT BUT WE’RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT. ON THE CONTRARY, THIS IS IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IT. DOCTOR. EXTREMELY. COLORECTAL CANCER NOW IS THE FIRST OR THE LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER IN PEOPLE UNDER AGE 50. YEAH. AND THERE’S BEEN A TREND, A SHIFT TREND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE HAVE NOTICED THAT WE SEE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN THAT AGE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH COLORECTAL CANCER. TYPICALLY, WE ASK PEOPLE TO GO FOR SCREENING AFTER AGE 50. THAT RECOMMENDATION WAS LOWERED TO AGE 45. BUT EVEN YOUNGER THAN THAT, YOU SEE, INDIVIDUALS WITH THIS, IS THERE ANY KIND OF RESEARCH SUGGESTING WHY THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOUNGER AND YOUNGER PEOPLE? THERE ARE MANY STUDIES THAT INDICATE THAT ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND LIFESTYLE HABITS REALLY HAVE A CORRELATION WITH THIS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, OBESITY, LACK OF EXERCISE, ALL THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS DEFINITELY PLAY A ROLE IN THIS. ALL RIGHT. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COLON CANCER WE HEAR ABOUT IT. NOW WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR SCREENINGS. AND NOT JUST AT 50. IT’S YOU SAID 45 IS THE AGE NOW WHERE YOU RECOMMEND SCREENING 45 AND 40 FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE. OKAY, DEFINITELY. SO 40 MAYBE EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOME SOME IF YOU’RE AFRICAN AMERICAN OR HAVE SOME MAYBE FAMILY HISTORY OF IT. RIGHT. WELL, DEFINITELY. DEFINITELY. IF YOU HAVE FAMILY HISTORY, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. COLORECTAL CANCER PER SE IS NOT CONSIDERED. DEFINITIVE HEREDITARY PROBLEM, BUT THERE ARE SOME ENTITIES. ONE LYNCH, ONE FAMILIAL POLYPOSIS THAT DEFINITELY ARE INHERITED. AND THEN THERE IS ABOUT 30% OF THE POPULATION THAT HAVE SOME FAMILY RISK. IN SOME WAYS. OKAY. AND FOR SOMEONE WATCHING, THEY GO, OKAY, I HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT I NEED TO GET SCREENED. THIS IS A LEADING CAUSE, THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR THOSE UNDER 50 WHEN IT COMES TO CANCER. BUT WE MAY NOT REALLY KNOW WHAT COLON CANCER IS AND SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS. WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE, DOCTOR? SO COLON CANCER OR COLORECTAL CANCER, BASICALLY THE LINING OF THE BOWEL IS REPLACED VERY RAPIDLY PRETTY MUCH ON A DAILY BASIS. NOT ENTIRELY, BUT A LOT OF IT IS REPLACED VERY RAPIDLY. AND BECAUSE OF THIS THERE ARE MUTATIONS THAT OCCUR IN THOSE CELLS. SOMETIMES THOSE MUTATIONS ARE NOT DETECTED. AND THEN THEY START GROWING INTO A SMALL LESION THAT TYPICALLY IS GOING TO BE A POLYP. AND THEN THEY HAVE SOME PRECANCEROUS CHANGES UNTIL IT GETS TO INVADE. AND NOW IT’S CANCER. ALL CANCERS ARE GOING TO START WITH A SMALL TINY POLYP. THAT’S WHAT WE IDENTIFY WHEN WE DO COLONOSCOPIES. AND THAT’S WHAT WE REMOVED OKAY. AND SO THAT STARTS AS A POLYP DEVELOPS INTO CANCER AND THEN CAN SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE BODY. IT DOES WHEN IT STARTS TO ADVANCE NOT VERY RAPIDLY. I MEAN THERE ARE DIFFERENT STAGES FOR COLORECTAL CANCER. EARLY LESIONS DON’T REALLY HAVE THAT MUCH POTENTIAL ONCE IT GOES INVASIVE AND IT’S CANCER, THEN HAS THE ABILITY TO GO TO LYMPH NODES THAT ARE LITTLE GLANDS. AND THEN AS IT PROGRESSES, IT HAS THE ABILITY TO GO TO OTHER ORGANS, MAINLY THE LIVER AND THE LUNGS. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR, IN JUST OUR LAST FEW MINUTES HERE, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? MAYBE THEY ARE 40, 45 OR YOUNGER THAN 50 AND HAVEN’T EVER HAD A SCREENING. SO THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ADVOCATING TO LOWER THE AGE OF SCREENING. THE REASON IS YOU DON’T GET SYMPTOMS UNTIL THE DISEASE IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT. RIGHT TO BLEED, TO CREATE OBSTRUCTION, SUDDEN ONSET OF CONSTIPATION. VERY RARELY YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE PAIN. THE LOWER IT IS, THE MORE OVERT SYMPTOMS ARE GOING TO BE. BUT THE IDEA IS TO ONE IF YOU HAVE FAMILY HISTORY, GO FOR YOUR SCREENING COLUMNS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCREENING, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM IMPLY A COLONOSCOPY. THAT’S THE GOLD STANDARD. BUT DEFINITELY IF YOU HAVE FAMILY HISTORY, TRY TO GO EARLIER THAN THE RECOMMENDED AGE. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR, HOW DO PEOPLE REACH OUT TO YOU AND THE TEAM AT ORLANDO HEALTH IF THEY WANT TO GET A SCREENING OR GET MORE INFORMATION? SURE. WELL, WE HAVE OUR COLON AND — INSTITUTE FOR ORLANDO HEALTH. I DON’T HAVE THE NUMBER WITH ME, BUT WE’RE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE IN ONLINE. WE HAVE EXCELLENT TEAM. WE FOLLOW ANY PRC ACCREDITATION, ALL THE STANDARDS WE DO, THE SCOPES, WE DO THE PROCEDURES, AND THEN WE WORK WITH ALL THE CANCER INSTITUTE FOR CHEMO RADIATION, DEPENDING ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NEED. AND WE’RE MAKING IT EASY FOR OUR VIEWERS BEC
Orlando doctor explains new studies highlighting deadly toll of colon cancer
Orlando Health Colon & Rectal Institute surgeon., Dr. Antonio Caycedo, discusses new findings, signs, symptoms and how to prioritize health
Updated: 9:46 AM EST Feb 11, 2026
Orlando Health Colon & Rectal Institute surgeon., Dr. Antonio Caycedo, discusses new research findings, signs, symptoms and how to prioritize health.Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Orlando Health Colon & Rectal Institute surgeon., Dr. Antonio Caycedo, discusses new research findings, signs, symptoms and how to prioritize health.