What do actress Audrey Hepburn, “Peanuts” comic strip creator Charles M. Schultz and famed professional football coach Vince Lombardi all have in common?
They were among the more than 50,000 Americans who die each year from colorectal cancer — a disease that’s generally slow to progress and that we can prevent through early detection.
There are certain risk factors that can increase the likelihood of developing colon cancer, including:
- Being African American
- Having a history of smoking and tobacco use
- Having a family member who had colorectal cancer or colon polyps
- Living with an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
- Experiencing a change in bowel movements, blood in your stool or abdominal pain
While these can increase your risk for colon cancer, the disease can still affect people who have none of these factors. In fact, it can develop without any symptoms.
The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is to get screened regularly starting at age 50. The risk of developing colon or rectal cancer increases with age, as does the occurrence of most cancers. Fortunately, colorectal cancer is usually slow-growing and very treatable when detected early. With early detection, colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of death from cancer, has a 90 percent survival rate.
A colonoscopy involves inserting a colonoscope — a long, flexible, lighted tube — through the rectum up into the colon. This provides a complete picture of the entire colon and enables a physician to take a biopsy during the procedure if necessary.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so now is the perfect time to take care of this important cancer screening. Call West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates at 770-214-2800 to schedule a colonoscopy. Remember, the earlier colon cancer is detected, the more treatable it is.
For more information about gastroenterology services at Tanner, visit Tanner Gastroenterology Care.
West Georgia Gastroenterology Associates has locations in Bremen, Carrollton and Villa Rica. The practice’s newest advanced provider, Corie Henderson, NP, sees patients in Villa Rica. For more information, call 770-214-2800 or visit westgagastro.com.