August 6, 2018
Clinton’s hospital wants you to detect colorectal cancer before it’s too late.
Though men and women may avoid discussing colon health with their doctor, doing so becomes increasingly important as they approach 50. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women in the United States.
Which is why early detection with a colonoscopy is so important.
AllianceHealth Hospital CEO Landon Hise says a colonoscopy is the preferred method for colon cancer screening because colon cancer can be both detected and removed during the same procedure.
Hise says a quality colonoscopy is the only screening that can detect and prevent colon cancer.
He says there’s no need to go to Oklahoma City for the procedure. It can be performed in Clinton by an AllianceHealth general surgeon Dr. Tannous Fakhry.
Hise says colorectal cancer doesn’t know a difference between the sexes impacting woman just as much as men.
A colonoscopy only takes 30 to 60 minutes to perform under sedation and colon cancer screenings should begin at age 50 for men and women, especially those who are at risk, and repeated every 10 years.
Risk factors associated with colon problems include:
•Being over age 50
• A high fat diet
• Smoking
• Family history of colorectal cancer
• Certain conditions that elevate your risk such as Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis
• Diabetes
• African Americans have the highest number of colorectal cancer cases in the United States
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