WHAT IS COLORECTAL CANCER?
Colorectal cancer, often referred to as colon cancer, starts in the colon or in the rectum. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House (NDDIC) defines colon polyps as extra tissue that grows inside your body” and that polyps“grow in the large intestine.” The NDDIC notes that “most polyps are not dangerous, but that some types of polyps can turn into cancer.” Further, they add that “most small polyps don’t cause symptoms.”
The National Cancer Institute estimated 102,480 new colon cancer cases, 40,340 new rectal cancer cases and 50,830 deaths (colon and rectal combined) in 2013. Colorectal cancer is equally common in both men and women and is the second leading cancer killer of men and women in the U.S.
Hope Through Grace emphasizes colorectal cancer prevention through early detection of these potentially cancerous polyps by urging people to get a colonoscopy screening. Most authorities agree that this virtually painless, endoscopic test is of the utmost importance if you are 50 and over or 45 and over if you are African-American. The American Cancer Society also recommends testing for colorectal cancer if you have a family history of the disease.