Abstract
Thanks to the latest achievements in diagnostics, surgery and oncology, the overall perspective of colorectal cancer has changed significantly. There is no doubt that we deal with a complex disease, requiring multidisciplinary approach and assessment.
Only this approach can enable patients to survive longer and to mantain acceptable quality of their lives. Taking a long view over several decades, the steep rise in incidence of this malignancy was strongly alarming.
It is partialy a penalty for a prolongation of life expectance, since one of the risk factors is the age. Knowing the way of life and dietary customs of our ancestors, one cannot deny that the change of lifestyle including dietary habits, as well as decrease of physical activity, obesity, stress, unsuitable thermal processing of food produced in bulk, consumption of immoderate amount of red meat, limited intake of raw vegetable and fruits, excessive intake of xenobiotics, such as medication or cosmetic products, excessive alcohol consumption, particularly beer, nicotinism, environmental pollutants, etc. contribute to the increase of this cancer incidence.
All the above mentioned factors have led over the time to a formation and development of numerous so called civilization diseases, to which the CRC belongs. Despite the fact, that thanks to the screening programms we are these days able to detect precancerous polyps and treat them by endoscopic methods or that we are able to deal with manifest disease surgically and by oncological treatment, it is absolutely necessary to focus on primary prevention, i.e. to endeavour to restore the natural healthy lifestyle.