Health Hub: Colon Cancer
If you're 45, it's time to get screened.
If you’re 45, it’s time to get screened.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, the colon cancer death rate in this country could be cut by more than half if Americans simply followed recommended screening guidelines. Early detection and treatment are critical. If caught early, colorectal cancer is 90 percent curable. If precancerous polyps are found during screening, the disease is often altogether preventable. Because colorectal cancer can develop with no signs or symptoms, a colonoscopy could serve as a life-saving test.
New guidelines: Get screened at 45.
Men and women are affected equally by colorectal cancer. For patients of average risk with no family history, it is now recommended that screenings for colon cancer begin at age 45, with follow-up screenings every five to 10 years, even for people who feel perfectly healthy. If you do have a family history of cancer, are experiencing pain or bleeding, or a previous screening revealed polyps, your doctor may recommend that you be screened earlier or more frequently.
A colonoscopy is not as hard as you think.
There’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed during a colonoscopy. It is your doctor’s job to perform these lifesaving screenings, and every effort is made to help patients feel perfectly healthy.
