Getting Screened for Colon Cancer can Save your Life

A big part of maintaining optimal health includes regular appointments with your health care team, eating well and staying active. Overall wellness also includes getting screened so you know where you stand in your health. Regular screening can help with early detection of disease and illnesses that when caught early, are more treatable. Our Health and Wellness Medical Lead, Lauren King says “Colorectal cancer, sometimes known as colon cancer, is a disease in which the cells of the colon or rectum grow out of control. Screening tests can help find abnormal growths (polyps) or cancer at an early stage, when treatment works best.” We recognize March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so if you haven’t considered getting screened, now is a great time!

If you are 45 years or older, you are encouraged to get regular screenings for Colon Cancer. You might need to get screened earlier if you have inflammatory bowel disease, a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps or have a genetic condition such as familial adenomatous polyposis or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. A recently published report from the American Cancer Society found that colon cancer diagnoses in people younger than 55 doubled, going from 11% in 1195 to 20% in 2019. Our Health and Wellness Lead, Lauren King, says “It’s very important to complete a screening if recommended, even if you have no abnormal symptoms. Colorectal polyps or cancer don’t always cause symptoms, especially at first, so it’s essential not to wait!” There are several different screenings that can be used to find polyps or colorectal cancer, such as: stool tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or a colonoscopy. Talk with your doctor about what screenings are right for you!

365 Health’s affordable FIT (Fecal immunochemical test) is a great screening to start with. It is done in the comfort of your home, on your time, and used to detect blood in your stool. It comes with a long-handled brush that you use to brush the surface of the stool in the water for about 5 seconds. Then you mail it to the lab. It has an 87% sensitivity for colorectal cancer and is one of the screening options recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, about 9 out of every 10 people whose colorectal cancers are found early and treated appropriately are still alive five years later. It’s time to get screened and learn more about your overall state of health!