You may have heard that men are more at risk for colon cancer than women. It’s true, but the difference is not as large as you may think. According to the American Cancer Society, the overall lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 21 (4.7 percent) for men, and 1 in 23 (4.4 percent) for women. “The risk ...

Colon cancer continues to be the country’s second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the third most common cancer in men, according to the CDC. It almost always develops from precancerous polyps (abnormal growths). Screening tests, which are recommended for men ages 50 to 75, help find and sometimes aid removal of polyps before they become cancer. (Men older than ...

While screening colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard” for colon cancer prevention, there are other options that may be available for people at average risk. The simplest screening is a stool test for blood, also known as FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Testing). This test detects cancers and polyps that may have trace bleeding at the time the stool is collected. It ...

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world with 1.4 million new cases diagnosed in 2012, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International. It’s estimated that roughly half of these can be prevented by lifestyle changes, including healthy eating, physical activity and avoidance of tobacco and alcohol. In the U.S., the risk of getting colon cancer ...

Michael Buckwalter, a freelance horn player, had always been healthy. So, he didn’t worry too much about skipping primary care services like physicals and colonoscopies because of his limited insurance coverage. But a few years ago, that all changed. “I had the occasional bout of hemorrhoids,” he says. “Because I’m a horn player, that’s pretty common. But in 2013, after ...

The numbers are scary. For those who are diagnosed with a late stage of colon cancer, the five-year survival rate is 12 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. In addition, of the 136,860 people diagnosed with the disease, nearly 50,310 will die. However, many still do not schedule a colonoscopy when they turn 50. Dr. Sakhie Hussain, medical director ...