March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month

What if we told you that colorectal cancer, more commonly known as colon cancer, has up to a 90% survival rate when detected early? Now what if we told you that the same cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA? You would be flabbergasted wouldn’t you? Well many medical professionals, colon cancer survivors, and the loved ones left behind after one has succumbed to this cancer are just as dumbfounded.

We feel that we should do our part in helping reduce the number of fatalities from colon cancer by increasing awareness. And what better time to do that than during National Colon Cancer Awareness Month?! You can reduce the number of deaths associated with this disease with one procedure, a colonoscopy.

Studies have shown that early detection is crucial to fight and beat colon cancer. Scheduling a screening is the first step in prevention. A colonoscopy can detect polyps which can then morph into cancer when left untreated. Fortunately, early detection and treatment can eradicate the cancer before it gains a foothold within the colon or rectum.

Who Should Get Screened?

· Men & women age 50 or older. Colon cancer strikes men and women equally.

· Family history of cancer. You could have a genetic predisposition for colorectal cancer.

· Are African-American. Get screened at age 45 or older.

· Showing symptoms of colon cancer. A change in bowel habits, finding blood in your stool, always feeling full, bloated or just a general abdominal discomfort.

Get thee to a screening for any of the above reasons. Even if you are 45 or younger, you may have a family history which would potentially allow the disease to grow before the average screening age. Yet, even if you don’t fall within the targets specified above, you’re not off the hook. Surely one of your loved ones falls within those guidelines, so print out this post, show it to him or her and insist on scheduling a screening. It could save a life!

So, now you all have one extra thing to put on your to-do list for the month of March. Help us take down a cancer which has a high mortality rate as well as a high prevention rate. We just need you to promise us one thing, remain vigilant even after March is over and continue to put heat on colon cancer for 11 more months out the year.

For more information on National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and how to detect colon cancer, visit the Colon Cancer Alliance (http://www.ccalliance.org).