March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!
Colorectal Cancer Screening Saves Lives
Many people assume:
– Colon cancer isn’t that common
– I don’t need to get tested if I don’t have any symptoms or a family history
These assumptions are not correct. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death when men and women are combined! Even if you don’t have symptoms or a family history, you still need to be screened regularly.
Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, detectable, and treatable. Many people with pre-cancerous conditions or early colon or rectal cancer don’t know it. Screening tests can find pre-cancerous polyps which can be removed. This prevents cancer from developing. If the test finds early colon or rectal cancer, treatment has a high success rate.
Men and women, aged 45 and older, should be screened for colorectal cancer. Those with a family history of the disease may need to start screening earlier.
Contact your Crusader Community Health primary care provider (PCP) to learn which of the following 4 options is best for you!
There are several screening options available, including simple take-home tests. The most commonly used screening tests are: (1) Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) or (2) Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) which should be performed every year and (3) Colonoscopy which should be performed every 10 years. (4) Newer Stool DNA and CT Colonography are also recommended options. Most insurance plans cover these tests.
For more information about Colorectal Cancer Awareness & Prevention,
click on the link buttons below:
American Cancer Society – Colorectal Cancer
CDC Colorectal Cancer Awareness
