Add Colorectal Cancer Screenings to
Your Calendar
Many women get their Pap tests and mammograms
right on schedule. But when
it comes to colorectal cancer, women
aren’t quite as diligent, according to a
recent study in the journal Cancer. Just
over half of adults between ages 55 and
70 had undergone the colorectal cancer
screening recommended for adults age
50 and older. And women were less likely
than men to have been screened.
Women are just as likely as men to develop colorectal cancer, says the American College of Gastroenterology. Colon cancer is most common after age 50, but the chances of developing this disease increase after age 40. The good news is that colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and curable— if caught early.
Fortunately, regular screening can be lifesaving in two ways. First, screening can help detect the disease at an earlier, more treatable state. Second, screening sometimes reveals lesions called polyps. While colorectal polyps usually are not cancerous, most colorectal cancers do begin in polyps. Having these polyps removed could prevent colorectal cancer.
There are more methods to screen for colorectal cancer than for any other cancer. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, the preferred approach is:
- Colonoscopy every 10 years. A doctor inspects the colon and rectum using a flexible, lighted tube while you have received some sedative medication. During this procedure, tissue samples can be examined and polyps can be removed. While the 10-year recommendation is made for normal-risk individuals, those with close relatives who have had colorectal cancer or persons with certain digestive conditions may need to be screened earlier than age 50. Talk to your doctor.
An alternative screening strategy includes:
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years. A doctor inspects the walls of the rectum and part of the colon using a flexible, lighted tube.
- And fecal occult blood testing once a year. A laboratory checks for hidden blood in three different stool samples.
