March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Mar 01, 2018 04:46AM ● By Editor
Colorectal Cancer Can Be Prevented
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic is proud to support this important event. The good news is that we are making progress in the war against colorectal cancer. Death rates from the disease have been dropping since the early 1990s, and incidence rates have been declining steadily over the past decade in both men and women. These are great strides that can be attributed to prevention, early detection through screening, and increasingly effective treatment. However, there is still more to be done.
Many people don’t realize that:
1. Simply aging can make you more at risk for developing colon cancer and
2. That early colon cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms.
But there are steps you can take to reduce your risk for the disease.
Colorectal cancer is one of only a few cancers that can be prevented because colorectal cancer screening allows doctors to find and remove hidden growths (called “polyps”) before they become cancer. In fact, removing polyps can prevent cancer altogether. Researchers believe that half of colorectal cancer deaths could potentially be prevented if everyone age 50 and older received recommended screenings.
So what can you do to keep this winning streak going?
• If you’re over 50, it’s important that you talk to your doctor about getting screened regularly for colon cancer. Talk to your doctor sooner if you have a family history of the disease or other condition that puts you at increased risk.
• Take the time to learn the facts about colorectal cancer. Check out the links at the end of this article for more information.
• Talk to your friends and family about the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer
starting at age 50, as well as all the other ways to help prevent the disease: not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, eating less red meat, and consuming alcohol in moderation or not at all. You can help save lives.
For more information, check out the Colorectal Cancer Alliance at ccalliance.org or the colon Cancer Coalition at coloncancercoalition.org.
Remember and share – colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable.
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic is proud to support this important event. The good news is that we are making progress in the war against colorectal cancer. Death rates from the disease have been dropping since the early 1990s, and incidence rates have been declining steadily over the past decade in both men and women. These are great strides that can be attributed to prevention, early detection through screening, and increasingly effective treatment. However, there is still more to be done.
Many people don’t realize that:
1. Simply aging can make you more at risk for developing colon cancer and
2. That early colon cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms.
But there are steps you can take to reduce your risk for the disease.
Colorectal cancer is one of only a few cancers that can be prevented because colorectal cancer screening allows doctors to find and remove hidden growths (called “polyps”) before they become cancer. In fact, removing polyps can prevent cancer altogether. Researchers believe that half of colorectal cancer deaths could potentially be prevented if everyone age 50 and older received recommended screenings.
So what can you do to keep this winning streak going?
• If you’re over 50, it’s important that you talk to your doctor about getting screened regularly for colon cancer. Talk to your doctor sooner if you have a family history of the disease or other condition that puts you at increased risk.
• Take the time to learn the facts about colorectal cancer. Check out the links at the end of this article for more information.
• Talk to your friends and family about the importance of getting screened for colorectal cancer
starting at age 50, as well as all the other ways to help prevent the disease: not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, eating less red meat, and consuming alcohol in moderation or not at all. You can help save lives.
For more information, check out the Colorectal Cancer Alliance at ccalliance.org or the colon Cancer Coalition at coloncancercoalition.org.
Remember and share – colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable.
