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March is time to get screened


Audrey Hepburn, Ronald Reagan, Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, and Darryl Strawberry all have something in common most people don’t realize.
 
They were all diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  March, designated as colon cancer awareness month, is the perfect time to see how much you know about what is the second leading cause of cancer death in the nation, second only to lung cancer.

Other facts about colon cancer
This year 145,000 more Americans will develop colorectal cancer and more than 49,000 will die of the disease. A simple test can spot the disease early enough to save lives. It is estimated that less than 45 percent of eligible individuals in the U. S. have been screened.
 
Most early cancers produce no symptoms, which is why screening for colorectal cancer before symptoms appear is recommended. The American College of Gastroenterology offers these possible symptoms for colorectal cancer: new onset abdominal pain; pain in passing the stool; a change in typical bowel habits, diarrhea, constipation; and a change in the stool caliber or shape.
 
Risk factors can be lowered through healthy lifestyle habits. A diet is recommended that is high in yellow, red and orange fruits and vegetables, low in meats and saturated fats and high in fiber.
 
For information, check with your family physician or visit the American College of Gastroenterology’s Web site at http://www.acg.gi.org.
 
For a colorectal cancer screening fact sheet from the National Cancer Institute, go to http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/colorectal-screening.
 
Check with your health insurance plan to see your coverage for colorectal screening and talk with your doctor. Subscribers to the state health insurance plan should go to http://www.eip.sc.gov/prevention/index.aspx?p=1&t=458 for a description of preventive coverage. 
 
The insurance benefits guide for any of the state health insurance plans is available at http://tinyurl.com/ycow9dw.



Friday, March 26, 2010



The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.