Mansfield, Ohio — Talking about colon cancer can be difficult, but Richland Public Health is starting the conversation in March for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Ohio Department of Health, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Ohio.
Fortunately, preventative screenings and early detection can save lives; as many as 60 percent of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented by regular screenings.
Health officials are urging people ages 50 and older to talk to their doctors about being screened for colorectal cancer.
“Colorectal cancer is a highly preventable and treatable disease. By encouraging people in Richland County to make healthy lifestyle choices and receive the recommended screening, we can help to eliminate colorectal cancer as a major public health problem,” said Martin Tremmel, health commissioner at Richland Public Health.
There are several screening options available, including simple take-home options. The American Cancer Society recommends one of the following:
Tests that find polyps and cancer
· Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years*
· Colonoscopy every 10 years
· Double-contrast barium enema every five years*
· CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every five years*
Tests that mainly find cancer
· Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) every year*,**
· Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year*,**
· Stool DNA test (sDNA) every three years*
It’s important to remember that the only wrong choice is to not be screened at all. For information about colorectal cancer and what to expect during the screening, visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org or the Colon Cancer Alliance website at www.ccalliance.org/colorectal_cancer.
*Colonoscopy should be done if test results are positive.
** Highly-sensitive versions of these tests should be used with the take-home multiple sample method. An FOBT or FIT done during a digital rectal exam in the doctor’s office is not adequate for screening.
Source: American Cancer Society Recommendations for Colorectal Cancer Early Detection. http://bit.ly/1eQr64U
