Colon Cancer: Earlier Screening Advised
8/10/2018
American Cancer Soceity Issues New Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among adults in the United States. Over 140,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with CRC in 2018.
Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society (ACS) issued new screening guidelines, making a qualified recommendation that routine colon cancer screening begin at age 45 years. The ACS estimates that more than 16,000 new cases of colon or rectal cancers will be diagnosed this year in Americans under 50. Some people are at higher risk and should be screened earlier, including personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer or polyps, or ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer.
"Most people don’t realize that colon cancer is preventable cancer,” says Dr. John Clements, Gastroenterologist. “It develops from a benign polyp on average 10 years to become the cancer,” he added. “So, there is time to detect the polyps and remove them before they become cancer. In essence, you can prevent colon cancer if people get the colonoscopy on time and follow through with continued screening.”
ACS recommends those tests that actually examine the interior of the colon because they cannot only detect cancer, but also prevent cancer development by removal of the cancerous polyps at the time of colonoscopy. The best test is a colonoscopy (every 10 years.) Polyps found during these tests can be removed on the spot, simply and painlessly.
If you need to be connected with a gastroenterologist or general surgeon, call the Physician Referral Line at 888-99LNRMC (56762) or visit the Find a Doctor section of the Lake Norman Regional Medical Center website at www.LNRMC.com.
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