March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Colorectal Cancer Can Start With No Symptoms: Precancerous polyps and early-stage colorectal cancer don’t always cause symptoms, especially at first. This means that someone could have polyps or colorectal cancer and not know it. That is why having a screening test is so important.
What Are the Symptoms? Some people with colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer do have symptoms. They may include: • Blood in or on your stool (bowel movement). • Stomach pain, aches, or cramps that don’t go away. • Losing weight and you don’t know why. If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor. These symptoms may be caused by something other than cancer. However, the only way to know what is causing them is to see your doctor.
A non-invasive stool test is available, along with invasive procedures flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.
It’s the Second Leading Cancer Killer. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. If everyone aged 50 years or older had regular screening tests, at least 60% of deaths from this cancer could be avoided. So if you are 50 or older, start getting screened now
