- Colorectal cancer is highly preventable, treatable and often curable
through regular screenings, a healthy lifestyle, and expert medical
care.
- Colorectal is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths
in the United States, and it affects men and women equally.
- Regular screening tests may detect precancerous polyps (grape-like
growths on the lining of the colon). Removal of these may prevent
cancer from developing.
- Screening tests can help detect colorectal cancer in its earliest
most curable stages.
- When detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate
for colorectal cancer is 91 percent.
5 Steps To Lowering Your Risk of Colorectal Cancer:
- Get regular colorectal screening tests beginning at age 50. If
you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, or
colorectal polyps, or a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease,
you may need to be tested earlier and should talk to your health care
professional about when.
- Maintain a healthy weight by eating a low-fat diet rich in fruits
and vegetables and whole grains from breads, cereals, nuts, and
beans.
- If you use alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- If you use tobacco, quit. If you don’t use tobacco, don’t
start.
- Exercise moderately for 30 to 60 minutes a day, five days a week.
Try walking, gardening, or climbing steps or any activity that
burns 150 calories of energy a day.
To learn more, call 877-35-COLON or visit the Cancer Research
and Prevention Foundation website www.preventcancer.org/colorectal.
Source: National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Self-Help Guides, Cancer
Research and Prevention Foundation.
