Have you been told that you should be screened for colon cancer but have been avoiding it? There are a few things that you should know.
- Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States in men and women. This usually starts as a small growth called a polyp, which over time can turn into cancer.
- Colon cancer is also one of the most curable forms of cancer. This is accomplished by undergoing a colon exam and removing any polyps that might be found.
- It is recommended that everyone after age 50 should undergo colon cancer screening. However, if there is a family history of colon cancer then the screening should be done earlier.
- For additional information, see the following links.
- American Gastroenterology Association - http://www.gastro.org/
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - http://www.asge.org/