Colon cancer is the third most common cause of cancer in the US, and the American Cancer Society predicts that approximately 96,830 new cases of colon cancer will be diagnosed in 2014 alone. With these shocking statistics, it’s important that everyone does their part to ensure that their colons are healthy. It might not be the first thought on anyone’s mind; however, it should be. Here is why it’s high time that you scheduled a colon cancer screening:

 

Regular colon cancer screenings is one of the most effective ways to prevent colon cancer. Even if you don’t have symptoms, this test will be able to detect the smallest signs of the disease even if you aren’t experiencing any problems.

 

Most polyps take years to develop into colon cancer (as long as 10 to 15 years in some instances). When you get routine screenings, we can remove these polyps before they actually turn into cancer.

 

Even if a polyp has already turned into colon cancer, if we can detect the cancer early, it’s highly curable. That means going in for a regular screening could save your life and offer a significantly better prognosis.

 

If you don’t have any risk factors, we recommend coming in for routine screenings after you turn 50. If you have a family history of colon cancer, have been diagnosed with IBS or have a history of colorectal polyps you’ll want to get screened sooner and more frequently. We would be happy to sit down with you and discuss how often you should be coming in for screenings.

 

If it’s time to set up a colon cancer screening, we would be happy to get you started. Don’t put this off any longer; the health of your colon depends on it!

 

Are you a patient of Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates? If so, we would love to hear about your experiences below!