March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and the American Cancer Society is putting the word out about how to best protect yourself from the disease. Vicki Rakowski, Chief Operating Officer of the American Cancer Society's Great Lakes Division, says that men and women need to start getting their colon screened at the age of fifty. Common tests include the FOBT, or Fecal Occult Blood Test, and colonoscopy. The FOBT looks for signs of blood in the stool, while a colonoscopy is a full view from the inside to find polyps and other signature signs of disease. Rakowski says the FOBT should be done every year. If there are no issues, a colonoscopy is recommended every ten years. If there is a history of cancer in the family, health professionals urge you to be checked sooner. 

Rakowski stresses the need for preventative measures, such as maintaining a good diet and exercise, in addition to these tests. A healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat is recommended. She says once you begin to show symptoms of colorectal cancer, it is often at too advanced of a stage to be stopped. Symptoms include a change in bowel habits, bloating and fullness in the abdomen, and unexplained weight loss among others. "Sometimes," she says, "there are no symptoms".

For more information, visit the American Cancer Society's website at www.cancer.org .