Colon Cancer Awareness Month
March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and Muskingum Valley Health Centers want to make sure you’re getting your annual Colorectal screening and tests.
In 2014 just under 137,000 people were predicted to be diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer in the US. In both men and women, Colorectal Cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death.
“It’s a disease most people don’t like to talk about, and really don’t want to think about. But it is important not only for that but because it can be prevented. Colorectal Cancer can be prevented,” said Chief Medical Officer of Muskingum Valley Health, Dr. David Klein.
Most of the time Colorectal Cancer occurs after the age of 50. Making that the benchmark from when you should begin your screening. According to Dr. Klein early detection is key to saving your life.
“If we do the screenings, and someone is found to have a polyp. We think that the polyp grows over a period of about ten years to become cancerous, during that period of time if it’s found, it can be removed and it doesn’t turn into cancer.”
For more information about Colon Cancer, and to make your annual appointment for your colon screening please contact Muskingum Valley Health Centers at (740) 891-9000.
