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Special Health Feature
What you should know about Colorectal Cancer.
Not counting skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in the US. Overall the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about one in 20.
Risk factors for the disease include:
- being 50 years or older.
- having certain types of polyps.
- having a family history of colorectal cancer.
- having a history of bowel disease, like Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.
"The good news is thanks to improvements in prevention, early detection and treatment, more than a million people count themselves as survivors of colon or rectum cancer. If colon cancer is detected early, there is a 90 percent chance of surviving it". says the American Cancer Society.
Screenings are used to look for the disease in people who do not have any symptoms. In many cases these tests can find the cancer in its early stages and greatly improve treatment outcomes. Screenings can also help prevent some cancers by allowing doctors to find and remove polyps that might eventually become cancerous.
Some ways to decrease your risk of developing colorectal cancer include:
- exercising more and diet.
- do not smoke
- limit your alcohol intake
And last but not least, Get Screened, Get Screened, Get Screened!!
For more information
Source: The American Cancer Society
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