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Are
You At Risk For Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal
cancer, or cancer of the colon or rectum, is the second leading
cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. Early screening
can prevent many of these deaths. Ask yourself the following questions
to see if you may be at risk.
- Are you
50 years old or older?
- Do you have
inflammatory bowel disease (not irritable bowel syndrome), Crohn's
disease, or colitis?
- Have you
ever had benign colorectal polyps (adenomas), grape-like growths
on the lining of the colon and rectum?
- Do you have
a personal history of breast, uterine, endometrial, gastric, or
pancreatic cancer?
- Has anyone
in your immediate family--parent, child, sibling, grandparent--had
colorectal cancer?
- Has anyone
in your immediate family--parent, child, sibling, grandparent--had
benign colorectal polyps (adenomas)?
- Do you eat
a high-fat diet, with lots of red meat and saturated fats, and
very little fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals, breads,
or beans?
If you answered
yes to one or more questions you may be at a higher risk for colorectal
cancer. You are encouraged to talk to your personal physician about
what screening tests you may need and when. If you do not have a
personal physician, contact Mercy On Call, 358-2767 or 800-358-2767.
Remember colorectal
cancer is highly preventable and curable.
For more information
on Colorectal Cancer, visit the American
Cancer Society web site.
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