Colorectal Cancer Awareness: Take Action
By the National Cancer Institute
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Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of
cancer death for men and women in the United States. In fact, 1 in 19 men and
women born today will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime,
according to the National Cancer Institute. It does not have to be that way.
Colorectal cancer is a highly preventable form of cancer. This means that
actions you take can make a real difference in lowering your risk of colorectal
cancer. Do you know what actions to take? If not, National Colorectal Cancer
Awareness Month is the perfect time to change that. Here is some advice to get
you started:
First and most importantly, get screened. Screening
tests can find colorectal polyps (abnormal growths), so they can be removed
before they turn into cancer. Screening tests can also find colorectal cancer
early, when treatment works best. However, colorectal screening remains
underused. This is alarming because studies have estimated that screening can
reduce the number of people who die from colorectal cancer by as much as 50
percent. You could avoid or increase your ability to survive colorectal cancer
if you are regularly screened. It's that simple-screening saves lives.
Generally, you should begin screening for colorectal
cancer after turning 50 and continue at regular intervals until you are 75. If
you have a parent, brother, sister, or child with colorectal cancer or polyps,
your doctor may recommend you get tested earlier or more often. There are many
different types of screening tests, so talk to your doctor about which ones you
should get and how often you should be tested. Insurance coverage varies for
colorectal cancer screenings, so check with your health insurance provider to
learn about your benefits. In addition, Medicare covers several colorectal
cancer screening tests for its beneficiaries-visit
http://www.medicare.gov/health/overview.asp
to learn more. For information about free or low cost screening, contact your
local health department.
 Second, getting regular exercise may help you lower
your risk. Studies have found that even moderate physical activity, such as
brisk walking for 3 to 4 hours each week, can lower colorectal cancer risk. To
learn more about how exercise may lower your cancer risk, visit
http://www.cancer.gov
(Search term: Physical Activity). For exercise tips and guidelines, visit the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention ( http://www.cdc.gov/ )
Physical Activity home page (Search term: Physical Activity).
Third, eat right: Eating five to nine servings of
fruits and vegetables a day is one of the easiest things you can do to lower
your risk for diet-related diseases, including some cancers.
Fourth, quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk of
colorectal cancer as well as other cancers. You may have already heard that
warning, but maybe you did not know that there is free, expert help available.
Call 1-877-44U-QUIT and a smoking cessation counselor from the National Cancer
Institute will provide you with the information, resources, and advice you need
to quit. Or visit http://smokefree.gov/ to
get started.
Now that you know what to do, it's time to take
action. Start healthy habits this month to reduce your risk for colorectal
cancer-call your doctor and make your screening appointment, resolve to get
regular exercise, eat healthier, and quit smoking. Even simply learning more
about colorectal cancer is a good start. For reliable information, you can visit
the National Cancer Institute's Web site,
http://www.cancer.gov (Search term: colorectal). You will find information
about the disease and its prevention, screening, and treatment. You can also
call toll-free 1-800-4-CANCER to speak to a Cancer Information Specialist. No
matter what you decide to do this month, consider that each action you take is
an investment in your most important possession-your health.
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