The Truth About Colorectal Cancer Screening
- Category: Blog
- Posted On:
- Written By: Frank Garcia
The American Cancer Society estimates that 152,820 people will be diagnosed in 2015 and that 50,830 will die from colon cancer in the United States yet people accept myths (though inaccurate) as common knowledge making the disease even more dangerous than it is. Some of the most common myths are that the screening is embarrassing, painful or that this is a disease that only older men get. Let’s debunk these myths.
“It’s embarrassing”, just remember that doctors and nurses perform thousands of these procedures each year. They truly have seen it all.
“It’s Painful”, during the screening, you will be sedated, you will not be aware of the procedure. You won’t remember it.
“It’s an old man disease”, this dangerous myth discourages women from getting screened for colorectal cancer when in fact, an equal number of men and women develop colorectal cancer each year. In 2014, the American Cancer Society estimated that about 70,000 women and 73,000 men would be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the United States. The numbers prove that both women and men should get take action to prevent colorectal cancer.
Hopefully, debunking these myths will encourage you to take action to protect yourself against colorectal cancer. Remember healthy individuals who aren't at risk for developing colon cancer, should begin screening at age 50. Screening can be done earlier or more frequent for those who have a high risk for developing colon cancer. You are at high risk if you have a family or personal history of colon cancer.