Colorectal cancer is unlike many deadly diseases. There are reliable early screening methods that can catch pre-cancerous growths and prevent the disease from developing.
Yet, about 2,500 Pennsylvanians die each year from colorectal cancer, and the state sees more cases of colorectal cancer and more deaths from colorectal cancer than many other states.
That’s due in part to lower-than-average colorectal cancer screening rates in the state.
“When colorectal cancers are detected early, the five-year survival rate is 90 percent,” said Enrique Hernandez, MD, president of the American Cancer Society, Pennsylvania Division and a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Board of Trustees. “But only 39 percent of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this stage, primarily due to low screening rates.”
The Pennsylvania Division of the American Cancer Society and the Pennsylvania Medical Society are joining forces to improve these statistics.
Everyone older than 50 should be screened for colorectal cancer, especially those with a family history of the disease. Screenings can pick up polyps, which are growths in the colon and rectum that can turn into cancer if they are not removed.
For more information on colorectal cancer, and the various screening methods, visit the American Cancer Society website.