My Chronic Life

The main goal of Colorectal Cancer Awareness month is to educate the public about early detection through the use of screening.

According to the The American Academy of Family Physicians, beginning at the age of 50 there are various types of screening types used:

• Fecal occult blood testing every year
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Fecal occult blood testing every year plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years
• Colonoscopy every 10 years

There are some risk factors that may cause the need for screenings to be done more regularly. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, if you’ve had colorectal cancer in the past, if you have either Chron’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis (both are forms of Inflammatory Bowl Disease), or if you’ve had polyps found in previous screenings.

There are syndromes that are inherited that increase your risk also. They are:

• Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
• Hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC)
• Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

The American Cancer Society names some links to Colorectal Cancer. These are:

• Diets high in red meat and processed meat
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Heavy Alcohol Use
• Type 2 Diabetes

Please speak to you doctor about your risks, any concerns you may have about symptoms such as blood in your stool, constipation, changes in your bowel movements, etc. This is not a pleasant thing to talk about but it can save your life. Your doctor has heard these terms before! Don’t let embarrasament take away your chance for a long and healthy life.