March Is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

AUSTIN, March 18, 2008 - Nearly 9,000 Texans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year. Those people will be men and women; whites, blacks, and Hispanics; rich and poor – and one of those people could be you or a loved one. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 4,000 of our Texas friends and neighbors will die in 2008 from colon cancer despite the fact that it is one of the most preventable and curable forms of cancer.

The fact that this highly curable cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States indicates that many Texans are not taking the simple preventive steps that could save their lives. It is an unnecessary risk.

If you are 50 or older, you should begin having regular tests for colon cancer. However, your doctor may have you screened earlier if you have a previous history of colorectal cancer or you have a family history. Hispanics and African Americans should also consider being tested earlier, too. And, despite the myth, colon cancer is not simply a man’s disease — it strikes men and women equally. Regular screening tests can detect polyps in the colon that can be removed before they turn into colorectal cancer. Screening helps to find this cancer early, when treatment is more effective. So see your doctor, and get screened.

In the time it takes you to get your car washed, you could receive a painless and potentially life-saving colonoscopy.

March is national colorectal cancer awareness month. Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Cancer Council ask that you take the first step to preventing this disease! Ask your doctor about colorectal screenings!