Stop Colon Cancer Before It Stops You!

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is preventable, but it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Colon cancer affected over 145,000 people in 2006, and 56,000 of those will die from it. However, with early screening and treatment, the survival rate is 90%.

What is colon cancer?
Colon cancer often begins with a polyp - a small growth - on the lining of the colon, rectum or part of the digestive tract. Finding and removing polyps can prevent cancer from ever getting a chance to develop.

Whom does it affect?
Colon cancer primarily affects men and women over age 50. However, people with a family history of cancer need to be tested before age 50 and more often. Only 25% of colon cancer occurs in people with a family history; 75% of cases occur in people with no risk factors. Signs of colon cancer include: bleeding from rectum, crampy pain, change in shape of stool, blood in stool.

Are you at risk?
If you answer "yes" to any of the questions below, you are at risk. 

• Are you age 50 or older?
• Are you African-American or an Ashkenazi Jew?
• Do you have inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease?
• Has a brother, sister, child or parent ever had colon cancer or polyps?
• Do you smoke or use other tobacco products?
• Are you physically inactive?
• Do you often eat red meat?

What can you do?
Get tested.  Ask your doctor which test is best for you.

Screening Test	Pros	Cons
Fecal occult blood test (FOB): stool tested for hidden blood Once a year	No bowel prep You can do it at home No risk of bowel infection or tears No sedation	May miss some polyps/cancers Colonoscopy needed if test is abnormal Must re-test every year
Colonoscopy: lighted tube placed in rectum, allows doctor to see large bowel Once every 10 years	Can take a biopsy and remove polyps Needed only once every 10 years	Can miss small polyps Need bowel prep/sedation Possible risk of infection
Flexible sigmoidoscopy: lighted tube placed in rectum, allows doctor to see lower bowel Once every 5 years	Little bowel prep needed Done in doctor's office No sedation needed	Only see a third of the bowel Can't remove all polyps Small risk of infection
Barium enema: X-ray using air/dye injected into the bowel through the rectum Once every 5 years	Doctor sees the entire bowel No sedation needed	Can't remove polyps Full bowel prep needed Some false positives possible