This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
Yolonda Woolridge
Dr. Faris Murad
Screening prevents death from colorectal cancer
- Screening for average risk patients begins at age 50 for Caucasians
- Screening begins at age 40 to 45 for African-Americans
- Screening begins earlier for people at higher-risk—IBD, family history
- If no cancer or polyps, people get screened every 10 years
HOW TO MINIMIZE RISK OF DEVELOPING COLORECTAL CANCER
- Eat a healthy diet—rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables and grains
- Exercise regularly
- Don’t smoke
- Participate in colorectal cancer screening
PROMISING OUTCOMES WITH COLONOSCOPY SCREENING
- Colorectal cancer is highly preventable thanks to early detection and colonoscopy screening
- If caught early during Stage 1 cancer, the chance of recovery is as high as 90% at five years
