Colon cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable types of cancer, yet it remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital is using the month of March, dedicated to Colon Cancer Awareness, to urge men and women to schedule their routine colonoscopies.
Colon cancer often begins as a non-cancerous growth. A colonoscopy can help doctors detect those growths long before they could develop into cancer.
Medical experts recommend everyone age 50 and older have a routine colonoscopy every 10 years to identify and remove precancerous growths. However, people who are at a higher risk for colon cancer or have a family history of the disease should consider scheduling colonoscopies earlier and more frequently, based on the recommendations of their doctor.
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital providers and staff will commemorate Colon Cancer Awareness Month by taking part in National Dress in Blue Day on Friday, March 6, 2015.