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The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon, rectum, or large bowel) may not be something you want to think about, let alone talk about with your doctor. But consider these facts:

• Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States; only lung cancer kills more people annually.
• There are usually no early warning signs for colorectal cancer — you could feel perfectly well and still have colorectal cancer.
• After age 50, your risk begins to increase dramatically, and women and men are both at risk.

But there's good news. Colorectal cancer is also a highly curable form of cancer. Catching it early is the key — colorectal cancer is up to 90% curable if caught early. So it's important not to delay getting tested.

The American Cancer Society recommends that everyone age 50 and older should be screened regularly. And anyone with a family history of colorectal cancer or polyps should begin screening even earlier.

To learn more about screening click on one of the links to the left.

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