MARCH IS NATIONAL COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which serves as a time to promote awareness, encourage screenings and educate.

According to the organization Fight Colorectal Cancer, which has an aim to create greater awareness, by 2030 colorectal cancer is expected to be the No. 1 cancer killer for people ages 20 to 49.

In 2018, the age to begin screening regularly was lowered from age 50 to 45, so if you are over age 45 and were not aware of the new recommendation, now is the time to schedule.

According to the American Cancer Society, the pandemic has led to a substantial decline in cancer screening, but now that healthcare facilities have safety precautions in place there is no need to put off getting a colonoscopy. It could save your life.

Colorectal cancer on rise under age 55

According to www.uchicagomedicine.org, the recommended age was lowered from 50 to 45 because colorectal cancer cases are on the rise among young and middle-age people. Deaths of people under age 55 increased 1% per year from 2008 to 2017, even though overall colorectal cancer rates have dropped.

Colorectal cancer is most treatable when found early. Colonoscopies not only detect the disease but prevent cancer because precancerous polyps can be removed during the procedure.

Life-saving resources

According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, these are the primary lifesaving resources to prevent, detect and treat colorectal cancer:

• Screening

• High-quality care

• Clinical trials

• Precision medicine

• Supportive communities

• Younger age to begin screening

Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum).

If you’re 45 to 75 years old, get screened for colorectal cancer regularly. If you’re younger than 45 and think you may be at high risk of getting colorectal cancer, or if you’re older than 75, ask your doctor if you should be screened.

Sources: www.cdc.gov, ccalliance.org

Fast facts

• Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

• Every year, about 140,000 people in the United States get colorectal cancer, and more than 52,000 people die of it.

• Precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer don’t always cause symptoms, especially at first. If you have symptoms, they may include blood in or on the stool, abdominal pain that doesn’t go away or losing weight and you don’t know why. If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor.

• There are several screening test options. Talk with your doctor about which is right for you. Only about two-thirds of adults in the United States are up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening.

Source: www.cdc.gov

2022 colon cancer cases in the U.S.

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third-most-common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for the number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States for 2022:

• 106,180 new cases of colon cancer

• 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer

Source: www.cancer.org

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. COURTESY OF ANNA TARAZEVICH