One of the deadliest cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States – depending upon where it starts, it can be referred to as colon cancer or rectal cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be almost 97,000 new cases of colon cancer and 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer in the U.S. this year alone. That’s just one reason why March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and ASAP Urgent Care is talking about prevention and helping people find out whether they’re at risk.
“Those over 50 years of age have the greatest risk of developing colorectal cancer,” says Lawrence Earl, MD, medical director of ASAP Urgent Care. “Others at risk for the disease are those with a history of polyps, inflammatory bowel disease (including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s), and those with a family history of colorectal polyps or cancer.”
Throughout the month of March, ASAP Urgent Care is offering colorectal cancer risk assessments and fecal occult blood tests for $25. If necessary, ASAP can also make appropriate referrals for colonoscopies.
According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about one in 20, or five percent. The risk is only slightly lower in women. Fortunately, the colorectal cancer death rate has been decreasing for 20 years. This is a result of screening for polyps that can be removed before they turn into cancer. Today, more than one million people are considered colorectal cancer survivors. Even so, it is expected that more than 50,000 people will die from colorectal cancer in the U.S. in 2014.