} HEALTH FEATURE
GET YOUR
BUTT
IN GEAR
Written by Kaki Morrow, Senior Community Development Manager
If you’re 45 or older, have a family history of colorectal cancer, or are showing symtpoms of colorectal cancer, it’s time to get your butt in gear.
the most successfully treated cancers if detected early. The five-year survival rate for colorectal cancers caught in their earliest stage is around 90 percent.
March is recognized as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, this year more than 135,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and over 50,000 will die from the disease. In fact, colorectal cancer is the nation’s third leading cause of cancerrelated deaths for both men and women and the second leading cause of death when sexes are combined.
Regular screening is one of the most powerful weapons for preventing colorectal cancer. If polyps are found during screening, they can be removed before they have the chance to turn into cancer. Screening can also catch colorectal cancer in its earliest stages when it is most treatable and curable.
While a combination of earlier detection, changing patterns in risk factors, and better treatments have led to a 51 percent decline in colorectal cancer death over the past four decades, about 1 in 3 adults who fall within the recommended screening guidelines are still not being tested for colorectal cancer. The good news? Screening can help find and prevent colorectal cancer. It is one of 24
Major strides have been made with screening rates in the United States, but we can do better. Members of The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, an organization cofounded by the American Cancer Society and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have adopted a shared goal to increase the nation’s screening rate to at least 80% in every community. Nonetheless, myths and excuses abound. Don’t let the myths and excuses stop you from making your health a priority! See
Inside Medicine | Spring Issue 2019
common myths on the following page. Join the American Cancer Society in spreading the word this March and beyond. If you haven’t been tested, talk to your care provider. If you have been tested, talk to your family and friends. Make sure that you and your loved ones are equipped with the facts. Together, we can help reduce colorectal cases and colorectal cancer deaths.
