The Local Source for News and Information Since 1980
What you need to know about Colon Cancer:
Risk Factors:
• People with a personal and/or family history of polyps or cancer.
• People over the age of 45 (men and women have an equal risk).
• Those with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
• People with the genetic conditions Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC) or Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP).
• People with Jewish Eastern European descent and certain ethnic groups including African Americans and Alaskan Natives.
Symptoms. Sometimes symptoms don’t appear in early stages of the disease so don’t wait for symptoms before talking to your doctor.
• A change in your bowel habits.
• Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool.
• Persistent lower belly pain.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Other symptoms may include chronic fatigue or nausea and vomiting (persistent).
What You Can Do:
• Get screened at age 45, or sooner if you are at higher risk. Screening can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer!
• Get to and maintain a healthy weight.
• Adopt a physically active lifestyle.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Don’t use tobacco products.
• Limit alcohol intake.
The Caroline County Colorectal Cancer Screening Program provides assistance for colonoscopy services at no cost for people over the age of 45 or younger with any of the above risk factors or symptoms. If you have limited or no insurance, and meet income guidelines, you may qualify. New this year is no-cost Cologuard (stool-based DNA testing) availability for asymptomatic average risk individuals. This requires an order from your primary doctor/practitioner.
