Dr. Francis Chan Ka-leung recommends that individuals prioritize preventive care and regular colorectal-cancer screening rather than waiting for symptoms to emerge.
This approach to healthcare is critical because early detection can significantly reduce the risk of advanced colorectal cancer and improve long-term health outcomes for patients.
Chan is a gastroenterology specialist and a professor of medicine and therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has spent more than 25 years [1] in colorectal cancer research and screening. Through his work in Hong Kong and various public health outreach events, he emphasizes the importance of maintaining a proactive health regimen.
Preventive care focuses on identifying risks and removing precancerous polyps before they develop into malignant tumors. By shifting the focus from treatment to prevention, medical professionals aim to lower mortality rates associated with the disease. Chan said the goal is to preserve the health of patients by treating the condition in its earliest, most manageable stages.
Regular screenings allow doctors to monitor the digestive tract for abnormalities that often do not produce noticeable symptoms in their early phases. This gap in symptom manifestation often leads patients to seek help only after the cancer has progressed, a delay that can complicate treatment options.
Chan continues to advocate for these screenings as a primary tool in public health. His efforts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong seek to integrate these preventive measures into standard adult healthcare routines to ensure higher survival rates across the population.
“Early detection can significantly reduce the risk of advanced colorectal cancer.”
The emphasis on preventive screening over symptomatic treatment represents a shift toward proactive population health management. By identifying precancerous growths early, the healthcare system can move from high-cost, late-stage interventions to lower-cost, high-efficacy preventive procedures, potentially reducing the overall burden of colorectal cancer on public health infrastructure.
