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Public release date: 01 January 2008
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If You Are 50 And Over, Get Screened For Colorectal Cancer
As a new year approaches, the American Society for Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy (ASGE) encourages all men and women age 50 and over to add getting
screened for colorectal cancer to their list of New Year's resolutions for
2008. Recent studies have confirmed that a majority of Americans who should
be screened for colorectal cancer are not. Colorectal cancer is a
preventable and treatable disease when caught in its early stages. If you
are age 50 or over, talk to your doctor about the colorectal cancer
screening method that is best for you.
Colorectal cancer almost always develops from abnormal growths, called
polyps, in the colon or rectum. Screening through colonoscopy saves lives by
detecting and removing the precancerous polyps before they become cancerous.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and
women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United
States, killing nearly 56,000 people each year. Many of those deaths could
be prevented with earlier detection. The five-year relative survival rate
for people whose colorectal cancer is treated in an early stage is greater
than 90 percent. Unfortunately, only 39 percent of colorectal cancers are
found at that early stage. Once the cancer has spread to nearby organs or
lymph nodes, the five-year relative survival rate decreases dramatically.
ASGE screening guidelines recommend that, beginning at age 50, men and women
at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should begin colorectal
cancer screening. People with risk factors, such as a family history of
colorectal cancer, should begin at an earlier age. Patients are advised to
discuss their risk factors with their physician to determine when to begin
routine colorectal cancer screening and how often they should be screened.
Colonoscopy is a procedure which looks at the entire colon and plays a very
important role in colorectal cancer prevention because it is the only method
that is both diagnostic and therapeutic. Not only does colonoscopy view the
entire colon, but it also removes polyps before they turn into cancer.
Colorectal cancer can be present in people without symptoms, known family
history, or predisposing conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
While common in other benign conditions, the following symptoms might
indicate colorectal cancer:
- Unexplained change in bowel habits
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blood in the stool
- Unexplained anemia
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