1. March is COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS Month
Information courtesy of American Cancer Society and UnitedHealth Care

2. Colorectal Cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

3. The good news is there are steps you can take that may help prevent it, or improve your chances of beating it.

4. Colorectal Cancer is more commonly referred to as “Colon Cancer”.

5. Live Well to Protect Yourself
A healthy lifestyle may help protect against colorectal cancer:
Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Try to achieve a low-fat diet that also is rich in fiber.
Get enough folic acid, vitamin D and calcium. Talk with your doctor or a dietitian to find out how much you need.
Exercise regularly. Aim for 30 minutes a day most or all days of the week.
Don’t smoke.

6. Get Screened Colorectal cancer first develops as colorectal
polyps. These growths in the colon or rectum may
become cancerous over time. Regular screening
can prevent colorectal cancer by finding and
removing the polyps before they develop into
cancer. More than 90 percent of colorectal cancers
can be cured when caught early.

7. There are four common types of screening tests for colorectal cancer:
Fecal occult blood test — looks for tiny amounts of blood in a stool sample
*Flexible sigmoidoscopy — a doctor passes a tiny camera through the lower part of the colon
*Colonoscopy — a doctor uses the tiny camera to examine the entire colon
Double contrast barium enema —your doctor
x-rays your colon

8. Talk to your doctor about which screening test is right for you
Talk to your doctor about which screening test is right for you. Your age, lifestyle, medical history and family history are huge contributing factors to consider when talking to your physician about which screening method is right for you!

9. For most Americans, screening should begin at age 50
For most Americans, screening should begin at age 50. If you are at higher risk, your doctor may want you to be screened earlier. Talk with your doctor if you or anyone in your family has had colorectal cancer, polyps or certain hereditary conditions. You should also note if you have a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBS). Your doctor will tell you how often you should be screened, as well as which test is preferred for your situation!

10. Watch for Symptoms
Talk to your doctor if you have any symptoms of colorectal cancer, including:
• A change in your bowel habits
• Diarrhea, constipation or vomiting
• Blood in your stool, or change in the appearance or quality of your stools
• Frequent stomach problems such as gas, bloating or cramping
• Unexplained fatigue or weight loss

11. What is a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is an exam that allows a doctor to
see and closely look at the inside of the entire colon
for signs of cancer or polyps. Polyps are small
growths that overtime can become cancer. The
doctor uses a slender, flexible, hollow, lighted tube
about the thickness of a finger. This "colonoscope“
is gently eased inside the colon and has a tiny
video camera, which sends pictures to a TV screen.
Small puffs of air are put in the colon to keep it
open and allow the doctor to see clearly.
The exam itself takes 15 to 30 minutes. Patients are
usually given medicine to help them relax, which
often puts them to sleep during the procedure. Your
doctor decides how often you need this test, usually
once every 10 years, depending on your personal
risk for colon cancer. It's important for people to talk
with their doctor to understand their personal risk
for getting colon cancer, the guidelines they should
follow for testing, and whether they need to start
being tested at age 50 or earlier.

12. What is a sigmoidoscopy?
During a sigmoidoscopy, a doctor
closely inspects the lower parts of the
colon, called the sigmoid colon and the
descending colon, for signs of cancer or
polyps. Polyps are small growths which can
over time become cancer. The doctor uses a
slender, flexible, hollow, lighted tube about
the thickness of a finger. This
"sigmoidoscope" is gently eased inside the
colon and has a tiny video camera, which
sends pictures to a TV screen. Small puffs
of air are put in the colon to keep it open and
allow the doctor to see clearly. The exam
takes 15 to 20 minutes and the patient
usually doesn't need medicine.

13. No, these two exams are not painful.
Will it hurt?
No, these two exams are not painful.
For the most part, patients are given medicine to sleep through
the colonoscopy, so they won't feel anything.
Sigmoidoscopy doesn't require medicine to make the patient
sleepy, so some patients find the air pressure to be
uncomfortable. Air is pumped into the cleaned-out colon so it
will hold its normal size and doctors can get the best pictures.
While it may be slightly uncomfortable, it should not hurt.

14. How do I prepare? Will I need to miss work?
The preparation for the colonoscopy requires you to go the bathroom a lot!
You follow a special diet the day before the exam and take very strong
laxatives in the hours before the procedure. You may also need an enema
to cleanse the colon. The key to getting good pictures is to have the colon
cleaned out. Preparation for a sigmoidoscopy is much the same. Because
colonoscopy is usually done under sedation, people usually will miss a day
of work. People should ask their doctors whether they'll need to miss work
before a sigmoidoscopy. For either test you'll need to stay close to a
bathroom. You might want to schedule the procedure for a Monday, so you
can be at home the day before without taking a day off work.

15. How will I feel afterward? Will I need someone to drive me home?
Most people feel OK after a colonoscopy.
They may feel a bit woozy. They'll be watched and given
fluids after the procedure as they awaken from the anesthesia.
They may have some gas, which could cause mild discomfort.
Because of the sedation that is given for the test, most
facilities ask that you bring someone to take you home.
After a sigmoidoscopy, you get up and walk out. There should
be no problem driving yourself home, as long as you have not
had any drugs to make you sleepy during the test.

16. Why are colorectal screening tests SO important?
Removing polyps prevents colorectal cancer from ever
starting. And cancers found in an early stage are more easily
treated. Nine out of 10 people whose colon cancer is
discovered early will be alive 5 years later. And many will live
normal life spans.
But too often people don't get these tests. Then the cancer
can grow and spread unnoticed, like a silent invader. In many
cases, by the time people have any symptoms the cancer is
very advanced and very difficult to treat.

17. Early Detection is the Best Protection!
It is up to you to take that first step

18. Vermilion Parish School Board Wellness Department