Four Corners Health Dept. Press Release
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the body grow out of control. When cancer starts in the colon or rectum, it is called colorectal cancer. Sometimes it is called colon cancer, for short.
Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in Nebraska. Rates of colorectal cancer diagnosis and death remain higher in Nebraska compared to overall U.S. rates. Of all cancer deaths in people under 50, colorectal cancer is now number one in men and number two in women. In 2022, 36% of Nebraskans were not up to date on their colorectal cancer screenings.
Due to the increase in cases of people younger than 50 having colorectal cancer, the age to start screening has been changed to 45. Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. Screening can find polyps—abnormal growths in the colon or rectum—that can be removed before they turn into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage, when treatment works best.
If you are 45 years old or older, get screened now! Routine screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer. If you think you may be at risk for colorectal cancer, speak with your doctor about when to start screening, which test is right for you, and how often to get tested. Symptoms do not always appear right away but getting screened can catch the problem early.
There are multiple safe, affordable options available for screening, including at-home test kits. There are 3 main types of tests – blood-based, stool-based, and visual exams. Blood-based tests are done in a clinic where they take a sample of your blood and send it to the lab. The blood is tested for certain changes that could show the presence of cancer or pre-cancer cells. A stool test is often done at home. These tests are simpler than a colonoscopy but need to be done more often. The visual exam would be the colonoscopy. For this, the doctor looks at the colon and the rectum and can include taking a sample if there is something concerning. You can learn more about these types of tests here: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/screening-tests-used.html
Four Corners Health Department (FCHD) will be at the Memorial Health Care Systems (MHCS) Health Fair in Seward on April 2nd from 5:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. In partnership with MHCS, take-home colorectal screening kits will be available at the FCHD booth.
For more information, visit: https://www.necancer.org/Colorectal-Cancer
To find out more about this topic, contact Four Corners at 402-362-2621 or 877-337-3573 or email info@fourcorners.ne.gov. You can follow us on Facebook at Four Corners Health Department, Twitter, or Instagram @FC_HealthDept. Be sure to visit our YouTube channel!
