Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

An annual health checkup with your primary care provider is one of the most effective ways a patient can prevent and catch potential illnesses. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, have you scheduled a screening appointment with your medical provider yet?

Colorectal cancer is cancer that forms in either the colon or the rectum. The colon and rectum are parts of the body’s digestive system which form the large intestine. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. If everybody aged 50 or older has regular screening test, as many as 80% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented.

Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. When colon cancer is discovered early it is highly treatable and often leads to a cure. Screening can find unusual growths in the colon or rectum—so that they can be removed before turning into cancer.

Colorectal cancer affects both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, and is most often found in people aged 50 years or older. For men, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate and lung cancers. For women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after breast and lung cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that 143,460 people will be diagnosed in 2012 and that 51,690 will die from colon cancer in the United States.

We at Progressive Community Health Centers encourage you to schedule your screening soon, and if you do not have a primary medical provider call us at 414.935.8000 and schedule an appointment to meet with one of our providers.

Some information in this article was adapted from Colon Cancer Alliance “Colorectal Cancer Overview”, Winter, 2012