Vim & Vigor - Fall 2020 - GMC - 37

37

Screening can
detect cancer
before it starts.
1

Colorectal cancer usually
starts out as a precancerous polyp, or abnormal
growth, in the colon or
rectum. Fortunately, some
colon cancer screening
tests, including colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy, can detect
polyps, which can be
removed before they turn
into cancer.

A colonoscopy
is a great
option but not
your only option.

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

2

Colonoscopies-the
use of a long, flexible
tube to check for polyps
and cancer inside the
colon-allow doctors
to remove polyps and
some cancers during
the procedure.
Other options include
stool-based tests (where
you collect samples at
home and send them in
for testing), CT colonography (using X-rays and
computers to produce
an image of the colon,
sometimes called a virtual colonoscopy) and
flexible sigmoidoscopy
(like a colonoscopy but
checking only the lower
third of the colon).
Talk to your doctor
about which test is right
for you.

3

Age is the top risk factor.

About 90 percent of new cases of colorectal cancer occur in people
ages 50 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Age isn't the only risk factor, though. Obesity, lack of exercise and poor diet can increase your risk. Also notable: The rate of
colon cancer in people under 50, while still low, is on the rise.

4

5

COLON CANCER
DOESN'T ALWAYS
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS.
If symptoms are
present, they can
include blood
in the stool,
stomach pain that
doesn't go away
and unexplained
weight loss. But
early colorectal
cancer might
not have any
symptoms at all.
Screening tests
can detect earlystage colorectal
cancer, which has
a much higher
survival rate
than later-stage
cancer.

You should start screenings
at least by age 50.

Screening guidelines vary slightly, with the
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommending that screening begin at age 50 and
the American Cancer Society recommending
that it begin at age 45. Talk to your doctor
about your risk factors and what works best
for you. Screenings should continue until
age 75, according to the task force.

6

Not enough people get
regular screenings.

An increasing number of people ages 50 to 75
are getting regular colon cancer screenings, but
lots of folks still aren't. In 2018, only 68.8 percent
of adults ages 50 to 75 were up to date with colorectal cancer screenings, according to the CDC.
And more than 20 million adults ages 50 to 75
have never been screened for colorectal cancer.

7

How frequently you should get tested
depends on the kind of test.

If you get a colonoscopy and you don't have an increased risk of
colon cancer, you can wait 10 years before your next one. If you opt
for a stool-based test, you'll need to repeat it annually or every
three years depending on the kind of test. CT colonography and
flexible sigmoidoscopy should be done every five years.

*

VIM & VIGOR FALL 2020



Vim & Vigor - Fall 2020 - GMC

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