Men and Colon Cancer: The Importance of Screenings
When caught early, colon cancer is highly beatable and treatable. That's why it's so important to make colon cancer screening a priority.
Sep 30, 2009
Jul 19, 2023
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Only lung cancer kills more Americans than colon cancer (also called colorectal cancer and colon and rectum cancer). The good news is that the disease is highly beatable and treatable when the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. That's why it's so important to make colon cancer screening a priority.
If you are at average risk of colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends all men over the age of 50 to undergo one of the following screening tests:
Of these first three options, the combination of FOBT or FIT every year plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years is preferable.
Virtual colonoscopy is a relatively new screening technique that uses a CT scan to create a three-dimensional image to evaluate the bowel—sort of a super x-ray of the colon. Air is pumped into the colon to cause it to expand, and then a special CT scan is done.
Other tests that your health care provider might perform include:
People at high risk for colon cancer include those individuals with a history of the disease; a history of colorectal polyps; and African Americans, who are more likely to develop colorectal cancer than any other ethnic group. Colorectal polyps are benign or cancerous tumors found in the colon. An adenomatous polyp is considered a precancerous condition because a fraction of these growths can turn into cancerous tumors if not removed.
Learn about preventative measures you can take today.