Screening Saves Life: Screening for Colon Cancer |

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and the South Heartland District Health Department requires all residents aged 50-75 to be screened for colorectal cancer and continue the screening lifetime pattern at the recommended time. The message is spreading throughout central and southern Nebraska.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of death from cancers that affect both men and women. Colorectal cancer affects all racial and ethnic groups and is most often seen in people over the age of 50.

Good news? Screening for colorectal cancer can save lives. Regular screening of all people over the age of 50 can prevent 6 out of 10 deaths from colorectal cancer.

Screening helps find precancerous polyps (abnormal growth) and allows them to be removed before they become cancerous. Screening helps detect colorectal cancer early when treatment is very effective.

Colon and rectal polyps and cancers do not always cause symptoms, and without screening, unknown changes can occur. However, blood in and above the stool, stomach pain, pain, cramps that do not go away, or weight loss for unknown reasons may indicate a colon problem. Your healthcare provider needs to confirm.

The US Preventive Medicine Expert Committee recommends regular screening that lasts between the ages of 50 and 75, using a sensitive fecal occult blood test, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy.

FOBT is a simple home test that collects a small stool sample on a card and sends it to the lab. This screening should be done annually. Sigmoidoscopy is a procedure performed by a doctor looking for polyps or cancer in the lower third of the rectum and colon. It happens every 5 years. If either FOBT or sigmoidoscopy gives a positive result, colonoscopy should be done.

Colon endoscopy is a procedure performed by a doctor looking for polyps and cancer in the rectum and the entire colon. Colon endoscopy is done every 10 years or according to the advice of your healthcare provider.

Decide on the best screening method for you, but keep in mind that the best screening method is the one that is performed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of each screening option, family history, personal risk factors, and preferences to determine which screening test is best for you. If you have certain risk factors, you may need to start screening before the age of 50 and be tested more often than others.

Most insurance plans, including Medicare, help you pay for colorectal cancer screening. Check with your health insurance company for the benefits of screening for colorectal cancer.

What steps can I take to reduce the risk?

• If you are over 50 years old, please undergo screening.
• Eat a diet rich in bread, cereals, nuts, fruits from beans, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Eat a low-fat diet.
• Eat foods that contain folic acid, such as leafy vegetables. Daily multivitamins containing 0.4 milligrams of folic acid may also help.
• If you use alcohol, drink it moderately.
• If you use tobacco, please stop. If you don’t use cigarettes, don’t start.
• Exercise for at least 20 minutes, 3-4 days each week. Moderate exercise, such as walking, gardening, and mountaineering, can help reduce risk.

During the National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, the South Heartland District Health Department offers a free FOBT kit to complete at home. To get a free screening kit, call the South Heartland District Health Department (402-462-6211) (free 1-877-238-7595).

For more information on colorectal cancer, visit the Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program website (https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Nebraska-Colon-Cancer-Screening-Program.aspx), American Cancer Society website (www.cancer.org/), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (/)www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal) or the website of the US Preventive Medicine Expert Committee (www.uspreventativeservicestaskforce.org). A personal risk assessment tool is (www.cancer.gov/colorectalcancerrisk/).

Please do not postpone. Be screened for colorectal cancer today and promise to take steps to reduce your risk!

Dorrann Hultman is a public health nurse at the South Heartland District Health Department. She can call 402-462-6211 or toll-free 1-877-238-7595.