National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Now is the time to sit down with friends and family and make sure that you are up to date with your colon cancer screening.
Learn more about colon cancer and screening with these quick facts:
- Your risk of colon cancer increases dramatically after the age of 50
- One in three adults over 50 are not getting screened.
- Colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths
- When caught early, colon cancer is 90% curable.
So what are our options for colon cancer detection??
Most people are familiar with colonoscopy, a more invasive procedure that requires prep and sedation.
There is a newer test called Cologard which tests your stool DNA. This is an at home test with no prep required. This test uses stool DNA to detect any abnormal cells and blood hidden in stool.
As always, it is important to talk to your doctor about what testing is right for you!
- Lauren Zanda, Physician Assistant