Over 50? It's time for a colonoscopy
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the first thing that you should be aware of is that we have a very powerful tool for preventing it: regular screenings.According to the American Cancer Society when abnormal cells first start growing into polyps, it usually takes between 10 to 15 years for them to develop into cancer. If the cells are detected early enough, then colorectal cancer can be prevented altogether.Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States (when men and women are combined, statistically), and over fifty thousand deaths from this disease are expected in 2014.The good news is that the death rate for colorectal cancer has been dropping among both men and women over the past two decades. This drop is thanks largely in part to screenings that either find the polyps before they develop into cancer, or find cancers in the early stages, when they are easier to cure.We recommend that anyone over the age of 50 gets one of these screenings, regardless of whether they are experiencing symptoms, as the screening can detect polyps and cancers before symptoms occur.In addition to regular screenings, some lifestyle changes can help prevent colorectal cancer, including:
- Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Increasing your daily physical activity
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Abstaining from tobacco
- Using alcohol in moderation
As always, be sure to talk to your doctor before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle that could affect your health. And, if you are over the age of 50, ask your doctor about scheduling a colorectal screening.The June E. Nylen Cancer Center offers two options for colorectal screening: a virtual colonoscopy or a traditional colonoscopy. The virtual colonoscopy is a safe, reliable, and minimally invasive procedure that does not require sedation. The test is performed at the Cancer Center in our CT suite. A traditional colonoscopy, on the other hand, is a more invasive procedure that requires sedation, and is therefore conducted at one of our local hospitals.Financial assistance is available to those who are unable to afford this screening, provided that financial and medical criteria are met. Please visit our Screenings page for more information on the programs that we offer.