January is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

This area of the body and  topic may not be one you’re used to thinking about, but please read on.

There’s bad news and good news about the bottom end of your digestive tract. (Sorry about the bad pun.)

The bad news is that colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, after lung cancer.

The good news is that colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. That’s because of colorectal cancer screenings.

Screenings for colorectal cancer can find growths and polyps inside you before they become cancerous. They can also detect developing cancers when they are smaller and easier to treat. 

It’s important to know that screenings can find colorectal cancers before they cause symptoms you might notice. At that point, it’s serious.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that most people start getting colorectal cancer screenings around age 45. However, if your family has a history of colorectal cancer or if you have other risk factors, you may need to have earlier screenings.

Talk with your healthcare provider about what type of screening is best for you. A colonoscopy is the most thorough screening, There are also in-home screening options.

It’s a lot to think about. But now you at least are aware.