Colon Cancer: Early screening may help you avoid it

Posted March 3, 2018

Screening to look for colorectal cancer screening doesn't have to be inconvenient, scary, embarrassing, painful or expensive.

In fact, there are a lot of screening choices available to look for colorectal cancer, including simple options you can do in the comfort, convenience and privacy of your own home.

More about colon cancer screening options
Option	How often the screening occurs	Where the screening occurs
iFOBT(Immunochemical fecal occult blood test)	Every year	At home
FIT-DNA	Every year or every 3 years	At home
CT Colonography	Every 5 years	At hospital or clinic
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy	Every 5 years	At hospital or clinic
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy and iFOBT	Every 5 years; every year	At hospital or clinic; at home
Colonoscopy	Every 10 years	At hospital or clinic

* Read list of screening option definitions

While you might wonder, "why should I look for colorectal cancer when I don't have symptoms?" the fact is, colorectal cancer doesn't always cause symptoms, especially early on. Finding it early through screening helps health care providers (doctors and nurses) treat it more successfully.

Also, getting screened for colorectal cancer doesn't have to break the bank. Call your insurance provider to learn which screening options are covered under your plan.

Decision time: Will I get screened?

Yes, I chose to get screened by the following method: (iFOBT, FIT-DNA, CT Colonography, Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, Colonoscopy)
No

Action time
TODAY I will:

Call my doctor to learn more.
Schedule an appointment.
Encourage a friend, parent, partner or neighbor to get screened.

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. when men and women are combined, yet it can often be prevented or detected at an early stage.