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The Dreaded Colonoscopy... Ugh!
The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screening
It is sad but true, age 45 marks that magical age when we begin to hound our patients to get a colonoscopy. You know, the test where you do the dreaded prep to get your insides squeaky clean and then we view your rectum and colon with a camera on a tube (don’t worry we give you drugs so you won’t remember). Trust us, we do not recommend this test to torture you, but rather to detect colon cancer early and potentially save your life!
Colorectal Cancer Statistics, according to the American Cancer Society:
- 3rd most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women
- Approximately 106,590 NEW cases of colon cancer EACH year
- Approximately 46,220 NEW cases of rectal cancer EACH year
- Lifetime risk is 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women
- 3rd leading cause of cancer related deaths in men and 4th leading cause in women
The good news is this: deaths rates from colorectal cancer have been dropping and we can thank the colonoscopy and other screening methods for detecting this deadly disease early!
So, what are my screening options?
- Colonoscopy: it’s the best test we have as we can actually visualize the colon. This test can both screen (detect early cancer) and prevent cancer by removing precancerous lesions called polyps before they develop into cancer.
- Stool based testing: these tests screen for signs of colon cancer through stool (feces). These do not require the prep required of the colonoscopy but they do need to be done more frequently. Also, these tests are not for our higher risk patients (those with family history or personal history of colon cancer or in certain cases polyps).
There are other screening options as well. The team of providers at Murray County Medical Center will talk to you about your risk, preferences, and customize a plan for you.
If 45 is the new 25, then screening is more important than ever! Call Murray County Medical Center today to discuss this important screening topic with me or another health care provider! 5078366111
Posted by:
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Tracy Hansen