March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. It’s a valuable opportunity for health care providers to educate their community about colorectal cancer and promote awareness of the importance of colorectal cancer screening, prevention and treatment.
Colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer don’t always cause symptoms especially at their initial stage. That is why it is so important to be screened for colorectal cancer regularly.
Regular screening for colorectal cancer should start at age 45. Between the age of 45-75, get regular screening. If you are younger than 45 and think you are at high risk for colon cancer, or older than 75, talk to your healthcare provider about screening.
Several screening tests can be used to find polyps or colon cancer. These include stool tests, sigmoidoscopy and CT colonography. If any of these are abnormal or positive a colonoscopy is needed to complete the screening process.
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Author Mahesh S. Ochaney, MD