13 Mar Get Your BUTT Checked: March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Posted at 13:35h
in Colon Cancer
Colorectal Cancer Facts
- Colorectal cancer screening should begin at age 45. Screening is the No. 1 way to prevent colorectal cancer. 1 in 3 eligible adults are still not getting screened.
- The CDC estimates that 68% of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all eligible people were screened. Get a free screening recommendation based on personal risk factors at quiz.getscreened.org.
- In 2023, an estimated 153,020 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the U.S., and an estimated 52,550 will die, making colorectal cancer the second-leading cause of cancer deaths.
- The average lifetime risk of colorectal cancer is 1 in 24, and age is the biggest risk factor.
- Colorectal cancer is highly preventable with screening. With early detection, it’s highly treatable.
- The most common symptom of colorectal cancer is no symptom.
- The incidence rate of young-onset colorectal cancer is rising. In people under 50 years old, the incidence rate is increasing by 1.5% every year. Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men aged 20–49 years.
- People who have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, offspring) with colorectal cancer have two to three times the risk of developing the disease. They should speak to a doctor about getting screened earlier than normal.
- Simple ways to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer include:
- eating healthy
- not smoking
- exercising regularly
- maintaining a healthy weight
- limiting red meat intake