Lowering Your Risk of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, and well over 100,000 people will be diagnosed with the disease this year alone. And while it is the second and third leading cause of cancer death in women and men, respectively, more and more people are being successfully treated and cured of colon cancer because of improved screening methods that can detect the cancer in its earliest stages.

“One of the most powerful weapons in preventing colorectal cancer is regular colorectal cancer screening or testing,” writes the American Cancer Society (ACS) on its website. Since it takes 10 to 15 years for an abnormal cell to develop into colorectal cancer, regular screenings can help identify and remove abnormal cells before they ever cause a problem.