What is a Colonoscopy?
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the signs are obvious that more awareness is needed about the disease and preventable measures like colonoscopy.
Colorectal Cancer Statistics
Unfortunately, many aren’t taking the potential for this deadly cancer seriously. 1 in 3 adults ages 50-75 are behind in their screening or are not getting screened at all. Why does this matter? Well, let’s look at some statistics on colorectal cancer.
Colorectal Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer related deaths among both men and women combined in the United States
It is estimated that there will be 150,000 new colorectal cancer diagnoses in 2021
1 in 24 people will develop colorectal cancer over the course of their lifetime
1 in 4 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer have a family history with this cancer
The earlier Colorectal Cancer is caught, the more likely it is the person survives over 5 years after the diagnosis. 
African Americans have the highest incidence and mortality rates with colorectal cancer
Rates for people diagnosed with colorectal cancer under the age of 55 have increased around 2% since 2007
Most pre-cancers are found in people who haven’t experienced any symptoms
Since colon cancer is such a preventable disease, it is unfortunate that more patients are not getting screened. In fact, patients in Wisconsin who are screened early have a 89% survival rate.
So, are you up to date with your screening? Or, are you a little behind (or alot!)? With such great risk, it’s important to take your screenings seriously! Schedule an appointment today to discuss this with your doctor and take the next right step toward preventing colon cancer!
You can find more information on colon cancer screenings and other ways to reduce your risk of colorectal cancer in our brochure, Understanding Life-Saving Colon Cancer Screening.